I recently called the Dept. of Fish and Game and asked them why ferrets are illegal here in Ca. They told me because ferrets are very jealous animals and have chewed up newborn babies in their cribs. Have anyone ever heard of this or is it a vicious rumor ?? Mike [Typical Ca claptrap. There are two recorded incidents where a ferret has seriously harmed or killed a child. One in the UK and one in Denver. Both incidents show, rather than ferret viciousness, gross negligence on the part of the parents. And in at least one of the cases, both child and animal abuse. In one case the drunken father placed a ferret (perhaps polecat, it was "found" in the backyard) in the crib of a baby to keep the baby quiet. And promptly fell into a drunken stupor. The mother was off drinking. The other case was similar. So they blame the ferret. Nitwits. There are *far* more recorded incidents of dogs killing children. The simple fact of the matter is that there are approximately 1000 cases of serious or fatal injuries caused per million dogs per year. The same statistic for ferrets is .3 per million. Jealous? Mocha *likes* Gregory. A lot. California is a special case because it has two rabid anti-ferret people in the relevant agencies. Is it time to post that article again?] [Posted in FML issue 0233]