We see skunks pretty frequently at the Midwest Ohio Reptile Show here in Columbus, as well as in pet stores in Lancaster and Chilicothe. Linda Harrah in Buckeye Lake has two (her vet descents and neuters them, too!) The breeders have told us that skunks only give birth in the spring, so they're only available in mid-summer. One of the big "ferret manuals", by the lady who claims to have started the pet ferret hobby, begins with an introduction that describes her pet skunks. She says they were pretty, but very boring compared to ferrets (but then, what wouldn't be?). Linda's aren't neutered, so they're stinky and grouchy and have to live outside in a shed. My friend's family got rid of theirs when she bit their little girl on the nose. We plan to add a stinker to the household after we finally move to a house (haha, ask me again in ten years!), because skunks can get big (30-40 lbs). Personally, I would recommend minks to anyone with too much energy who never liked their carpet much anyway =). BTW, I really appreciate all of the sympathy about Charli--you never feel like you've done enough for them! Is it really true that _nobody_ else has had a really antisocial ferret like Allie? Maybe she's an alien! Laura McDonald "Tell them to send us fried chicken!" Allie, Smokey, Felix, 'Possum, Hershey, and Bandit [Posted in FML issue 0657]