Judy Gallipeau: Jumping onto your comments about people reacting badly to ferrets as being overgrown rats and "how can a rat have a personality" -- I basically agree with your assessment about how badly people misjudge ferrets. IMO, they are mainly conditioned by the unfortunate reputation ferrets have acquired over the years (personally I blame a lot of it on those California health department folks who continue to distribute their badly flawed "studies" on ferret bite statistics). As Small Mammals Section leader in the CompuServe Pets/Animals Forum for the past year, I have spent an awful lot of time in that year educating people about ferrets. And I've had my eyes opened: whereas a year ago I would have recommended a ferret pretty much wholeheartedly as a pet, I would no longer do so. Some people simply cannot cope with a ferret's special needs and/or rambunctious personality. Nowadays I spend a lot of time asking folks to please do their homework first, and to ask lots and lots of questions. Ferrets just aren't for everyone, in my considered opinion! I say this at the same time acknowledging that ferrets are the best pets I've ever had! I would not trade my five for anything (despite the fact that Sigmund today destroyed my carefully dried bouquet from my sister's wedding!). But I would also like to add that, as Small Mammals section leader, I've learned an awful lot about other small furry critters in the past year, most of them rodents (rats, mice, guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters). At any rate, I must tell you that rat fanciers are more fiercely loyal to their pet rats than almost anyone! My point is simply that rats get bad press too -- and that we're all conditioned in one way or another. Just want folks to think twice before denigrating pet rats...I figure we small mammal fans have got to stick together, as it seems to me that in general, society considers any small mammal -- be it ferret, rabbit or rodent -- as a pet of little consequence. Anyhow, my reaction to folks who call my ferrets rats is to point out that ferrets are not rodents. I also remind them that ferrets are related to otters -- and that usually helps, because most folks react favorably to the playful image of an otter! OK, I'm getting off that soapbox again...sorry, folks, guess I'm feeling a little wound up today. Must be time to play with the ferrets... :-) -------------------------------------------------- Katie Fritz Small Mammals Section Leader/CompuServe Pets Forum Internet: [log in to unmask] CIS: 71257,3153 [Posted in FML issue 0720]