Melissa and the omni-mobile Potpie here. To Chris: i get the impression that ferret personalities vary widely from individual to individual. There're lots of noises Potpie doesn't make, for example, that i get the impression she'd have to have been around other ferrets to pick up. As long as he's healthy and seems to be having fun with you and you with him, i wouldn't worry too much. :) Re: living in a FFZ. What I found was helpful was to call places like the DNR and Dept of Wildlife, Public Health, etc, and find out what they do when they find out someone's got a ferret. Talk to local owners and pet stores and see what the 'gossip' is on ferret owners--for example, i heard that in MI the local police are incredibly lenient in my area; that the DNR, if someone is reported as having a ferret, won't immediately confiscate it- you get a warning. and if they dont get a report, they could care less--rumors are that there are about 10,000 ferrets in MI, and im certain that lots of these officials own them :). Best of luck, Potpie, 'no, im NOT telling you how i got onto the counter' and Melissa, 'the little dweeb knocked EVERYTHING off...grr....' [Posted in FML issue 0869]