After listing all the reasons why I shouldn't have ferrets anymore, two weeks ago I took the plunge again and adopted 2 ferrets. Thank you to every one who gave me words of encouragement and advice when I was indecisive about whether or not to adopt these ferrets. Special thanks to Brenda Johnson, who made my decision definitive when I heard about the shelter they came from and realized there was a possibility they could end up back there or even worse, since they came from craigslist. Now about the weasels: they are about 1 1/2 yrs. old, a DEW male named Spooky, Undercover Agent, and a dark sable female named Xena Warrior Princess. It is such a joy to watch Spooky & Xena wrestle, chase, pounce and fang in the tube. It is so different from Minky & Klondike, who were old and ill when I got them. I don't regret taking them for a second and I still mourn them, but this is my first experience having 2 young ferrets. Though I got Rocky as a kit and had lots of fun with him, he didn't have anyone to play ferret games with. Coincidentally, Spooky & Xena are the same color combinations as Minky & Klondike were, and I often call Xena "Minky" and Spooky "Klondike." They don't look the same other than color. Klondike was really big and had dark ruby eyes; Spooky is smaller and slim and his eyes look brown. Minky had a T mask, while Xena has an interesting thick V mask and she also has a zipper. They are arch enemies, with Spooky trying to capture and interrogate the elusive Xena. In secret, however, they love each other. When Spooky & Xena are wrestling, he sometimes drags her by the neck, but only if she lets him. She can hold her own with him even though he's bigger. In general, he is mellower, though you can't hold him. Xena doesn't mind being held and often gives kisses but also bites and does lick-lick-chomp. I suspect she would be a good mouser, though I doubt there would ever be a mouse in my new apartment. Xena is a collector of containers, some of which she steals from the recycle area in the kitchen and others, sometimes filled, from wherever they happen to be. Her most treasured possession is a bottle of Baby Bubble Bath that came with the Baby Shampoo I bought. [BTW, always try these products on yourself first. I bought a generic version and it stung my eyes, so I returned it for Johnson & Johnson. I believe in human testing of products to be used for animals.] Xena saw this smallish bottle sitting on the edge of the tub and grabbed it with both paws as if they were hands! She likes the Baby Bath Wash/ Bubble Bath so much that she hid it in a corner behind some speakers and sometimes sleeps by it LOL. Her latest acquisition is a large bottle of carpet stain remover from the bedroom, which she dragged all the way into the living room and hid it in between parts of the cage that came with these ferrets. I am only allowing her to have one of each item; she can't have all the empty milk bottles and orange juice cartons we recycle. I had to set limits somewhere. I think she will build a fortress with these containers to deter any foes. Spooky is a persistent explorer who goes to great heights and faces grave danger. The one cool day we had in months, when we were able to open the windows, I found him on the widow sill in the bedroom (which I never thought he could get up to) just as he reached where the window was open. Then I didn't see him around for awhile, so I went into the living room to look for him and saw him in the same place at that window. I nearly had a heart attack both times. We closed the windows and when I figured out how he got up to the bedroom window sill I moved an item he climbed onto. He will no longer be allowed in the living room alone if the window is open. Since we've had the AC on and the windows are closed all the time he seems to have lost interest and hasn't gone up to the living room window, which he can still climb up to. He is definitely an adept climber who will explore wherever he can. My new babies are the best ferapists. They get me out of bed early in the morning and make me so happy when I watch them play. I am always so happy to come home and see them. Despite the down sides of having ferrets, I'm so glad to have them. Thanks to Wolfy for telling me not to leave the FML even if I didn't have ferrets. I still grieve for Minky & Klondike. Minky passed away last September and Klondike in March. I miss my little polar bear terribly and Dr. Minky too. It is sad to me that when I got them I never had a chance to write much about them because I was always asking for advice about their medical problems. But my experience with them made me realize why some of you take in old, ill ferrets. Taking care of them and giving them some happiness, especially after the abuse they experienced, was a spiritual experience. I have finally gotten to the point where I think of the happy times I had with Rocky, who died in March 2009, except for the way he died (heart stick). Thanks to all of you for being who you are and helping me along the way in the wonderful world of ferrets. Shron, Spooky & Xena In Memory of Rocky, Minky & Klondike [Posted in FML 7508]