In response to lots of things..... Ferrets outdoors is not bad thing though it might seem that way by recent conventions. Ferrets are domestic but have been living outdoors or in un-air conditioned houses for thousnads of years. As Dr. Williams said the heat can get to them. The native environment was Europe and Northern at that. The US can get quite hot which seems to bother the fur balls. I know a breeder who raises all his stock outside and they are among the healthiest ferrets I've ever seem. He has trouble on the hottest days but little trouble on the colder end. As far as keeping a ferret outside part of the time I would be afraid the change in temperature could get to the ferret as well as the extreme heat. A porch on the the side of a building will proboably be hotter than under the roof of a shed. Even with some shade. Ferrets in Maryland. I lived in montgomery county md. for a few years recently. Moved around quite a bit in Virginia before moving the the metro area, then to Rockville MD and Germantown MD before moving across the river to Northern Virginia. I have never had any problem in moving. However I have always kept my ferrets mostly in a cage so home always went with the ferrets. They have always enjoyed exploring new places but always pick new corners to 'claim'. I've never been successful in housebreaking my ferrets for whole apartments or houses, and not always for whole cages. I also have never had any real problems with ferrets in apartments - since they lived mostly in cages the management never cared. While renting houses I had trouble with only one landlord (she lived in DC and was clueless on everything not just ferrets) I wouldn't worry two much about a move but suspect you'll have to start over on house breaking to some extent. Ferrets in metro DC area. Seeing a UMD in a address I hope you (Michelle right?) know about the various ferret groups right in the metro area. I'm down in Prince William County now so I'm not a member of the Maryland and DC clubs but am involved in the Loudoun area group and the several 'National' groups centered in the DC area. Most of these are in the *STAR* list (one of the local 'National' groups I'm involved with by running a member shelter) The LAFF, LIFE and AFA (all centered in the area) put on ferret shows and 'fun matches' every year that I go to and show/enter ferrets. I'd also like to publicly thank Dr. Williams for the help he gave in helping Dr. Kawasaki diagnose one of my ferrets recently. Dr. Williams has done work on samples from several of my ferrets and I am truly grateful. I owe both of these gentlemen more than I can repay with mere Vet bills or even simple thanks. bill and diane killian zen and the art of ferrets [Posted in FML issue 0879]