Bill- I keep my ferrets caged when no one is around to supervise, but they get many long periods of exercize daily. I live in an old apartmant that is not ferret- proof and is patrolledby a black lab that often can't distinguish ferret from over-sized rodent. From the responses I've received thus far in the National Domestic Ferret Census, it looks like a vast majority of the people do like- wise (caged and free). I'd be VERY intersted in receiving quantitative data that shows that keeping ferrets caged cuts their lives in half, as one of the goals of the NDF Census is to acquire such data in an effort to prolong their life. Where was this study done? How large was the sampling? What other health factors were taken into considration or excluded? I also edit a Ferret Association News- letter and would consider doing an article on this once I have the FACTS straight. Everyone - Our copier has resigned (pfttt) so now we're only able to furnish clubs and shows with masters of the Census form. We still have plenty of forms for individual requests. Thanks to all the clubs that have hopped on the bandwagon. It's reminiscent of "Miracle on 34th Street" with all the mail I have to open now... STRONG showing in the Ferret Free Zones and in New Hampshire (which recently became a ferret-legal state) . Rog, CB, Megabyte, Tribble, Heidi & Sneakers [Posted in FML issue 0430]