tle---You might want to proceed with caution in regards to the fennec fox. For starters, they're captive bred but not domesticated (like our carpet sharks). They are a North African species of fox that has recently made inroads in the pet trade. They are hunters by nature (small mammals, lizards, some insects). I confess that I am, in general, leery of keeping exotics as pets. Although I'm sure they can be _tame_, I wonder about keeping them w/ferrets. Ferret Union: Uh, guys, I'm scared. It's bad enough that I've had to surrender my socks, go without water on my nightstand, and make covers for the plant pots. All this talk of a Union and I see myself forced to build a ferretone fountain in the living room. If this gets out, we're all doomed. RE the sock exchange: Great idea, but my critters won't go for it. I've tried to "provide" socks that they could steal---nothing doing, if I provide them then it's not a theft. The Union would have a fit if they found out socks were being taken without being stolen. Eric Sampson [Posted in FML issue 1143]