Hi Everyone, In reference to Jim Makowski's worries about ferret care at Aquariums plus Pets in Princeton. I was at the store yesterday and saw the two ferrets. I spoke with the owner/ manager about them, and he said that in fact the ferrets were brought in by a family who had initially thought that the animals would be cuddly pets for their 4 year old. Apparently the little guys were quite neglected by the family when they didn't display the expected cuddliness. So the family brought them back to the store in less-than-perfect health. The owner said he is taking care of the ferrets for now, and when they get better, he will find them a knowledgeable home. The ferrets are being treated by the Princeton Animal Hospital across the road- they've got them on soome broad-spectrum antibiotics and Duck Soup. The staff takes them out to play several times a day. I've patronized this store, mostly for aquarium supplies, for several years. They moved out to the Pathmark center from the Princeton Shopping Center when Petco arrived last year. In fact the store is not a chain- it's actually a local small business, and the owner and staff are, in my experience, very responsive to suggestions and inquiries. The thing that impresses me is that the owner (and his staff) have never tried to give me a BS type answer to any question. If they don't have an answer, they are very good about saying they don't know, but will find out and get back to me. And they do get back to me with answers. I have a lot of respect for the confidence it takes to be this honest. This store does take in homeless ferrets and other creatures, helps them to get well, and finds them homes. That's where a lot of their ferrets come from, which is why they don't always look healthy. I mentioned the wood chip issue to the owner. He was surprised at the potential for allergic reactions. He apparently had been trying to give the guys something warm to snuggle in rather than lining the cage with paper. I suggested that some old sweats or t-shirts would be appreciated, and he said he would read up on the issue and round up some old sweatshirts over the weekend. I was satisfied with his reaction- he was quite receptive to the ideas, and based on this conversation and previous interactions, I think that he does have the best interests of his pets in mind. If anyone has other experiences, good or bad, with the store, I'd be interested in hearing them. Jim, I hope you feel a little better about the situation. I think that most of us tend to assume that pet stores are bad or don't care about the pets when we see signs of neglect or uninformed care, but it's nice to know that things aren't always as they seem. Take care! Liesl and Alky in Princeton [Posted in FML issue 1145]