anon please Chris. >What are ferrets? Are they rodents? Ferrets are relatives of skunks, minks and otters. They are not members of the rodent family. Personality and intelligence wise, they lie somewhere between dogs and cats. They remain very playfull their whole lives and tend to be more personable than cats. They are curious to a fault and with their hand-like paws and limited climbing ability, they tend to get into a lot of mischief. Their innate cuteness makes them very difficult to get mad at. Diet usually consists of high quality cat food. > Where can I get one? California is one of the four states where ferrets are still illegal though many people own them there. You would have to go to a bordering state to get one and vet care could be a problem. The law making them illegal is being fought. I myself live in a state where ferrets are illegal which is why this is posted anonymously. > Are people who are >allergic to dogs and cats ok with ferrets? (I have rats, and they work >well.) There was recently a lenghty discussion on this on the list. The conclusion was that many people (~75%?) who were allegic to cats and dogs were not allegic to ferrets. On the other hand, there are reportedly people who are not allegic to cats or dogs but who are allegic to ferrets. Your best option is to try before you buy. >Any references you can lead me to? There are several books out on ferrets and the list has a lot of knowledgeable people. In addition there is a FAQ. Ferrets are not for everybody and I would recommend that you visit with one for a while before you decide to get one. I'm also not sure how compatible they would be with your rats. Ferrets were often used on sailing ships for mousers/ratters instead of cats because of their ability to get into tight places. I lost a hamster to my ferret and I have a friend who's ferret caught several mice and one rat. -anon [Posted in FML issue 0525]