To Tara Wheeler: Now that someone asked, here's my opinion about the beach......... I personally don't think it's a good idea. The sand can be very hot and this can burn little feet. If the wind is blowing, upper respiratory problems could develop from inhaling sand particles. In addition, there are very few trees on a beach - consequently NO SHADE! Ferrets can't tolerate high temperatures and direct sunlight, so this alone could cause problems. I don't know about salt water and ferrets - I have no knowledge of that, but I think blowing sand, hot sand, and heat and sunlight are reasons enough to keep a ferret off the beach. Debbie Riccio WNYFLFA Rochester, NY [Posted in FML issue 1233]