Hi everyone! I am new to the FML and I have been dying to respond to many things but just can't find the time to do so. I barely have time to read the daily postings. However, I do enjoy reading it. It has caused tears of joy as I read some of the hilariously funny things and tears of pain as I read of the hurt caused by losing a beloved kiddie. I have been there on a number of occasions and know how it hurts - even you Kelleen, in your situation. It would just take too much space to elaborate on this so I won't at this time. A word about loners. We got (I'll explain how later) an altered male a number of months ago (Scooter) who was (and still is) just wonderful. He enjoyed people a lot but had never seen another ferret (he was 3 years old). It seemed like he looked at the other ferrets and screamed "Aaaahhhh. What's that." The postings about loners the last couple of days described him to a T. If one accidentally touched him he backed right off and wanted protection. It also seemed like he had to fight to protect himself because he didn't know what these creatures were. We kept him isolated for 6 weeks which is what we normally do when we get a new ferret, to treat them for ear mites, fleas and whatever else they have when we get them. Then came the slow process of integrating. He also did not seem to play, or dook, or jump around like the others did. We didn't know what to think. He just seemed to be depressed. We put him in one of the rooms where the ferrets live - the room with the livliest group and he watched them play (through his cage) and he gradually got used to the fact that there were other ferrets. The occupants of this room get to be out in shifts - one group at night, and one group in the day time. Periodically we let them sniff each other (while we held them). Twice we let him be alone with one of the others and there was major fighting. We thought that he just must be a loner. We then put Scooter in another room with less active ferrets. Again there were shifts. To make a long story short, Scooter is now fully integrated with the quietest one (altered female - Snoopy) and is almost fully integrated with the second one (now altered female - Josie). Things are looking up. He seems much happier and he even plays - especially when he is on our bed. Man he just goes crazy. What a sweetheart. It just took time (several months) and patience. Before I close I want to tell you a bit about what we do. About 6 years ago when we were in Arizona we saw, for the first time, a ferret. It was in a pet shop. We just fell in love with it. It was too expensive and we were also worried about the border crossing, etc. I started a new job several months later and a co-worker had a ferret that she was trying to get rid of because she was moving into an apartment and could'nt take it with her. We took it and the learning process began. We have had 15 all together, 10 of which we still have. They have all come from homes that for some reason or another couldn't have it any more, and from the Humane Society. I wish I could tell you more about this but I am taking too long already. We wanted to become a Not for Profit organization but even though these organizations do not make money, they are classed as a business and we cannot run a business out of our home. We had a name and all kinds of ideas of how we would earn some money to help pay for the vet bills and the cages, etc. etc., and we even made up adoption papers etc. etc. We are allowed to have ferrets, as pets, without a restriction on how many ferrets we can have so when ever we get a call we still take them. A few months ago we received 3 in one day, from the same family. We have kept every one that we have received. Again I could rattle on but suffice it to say that the vet costs and equipment costs such as cages get pretty high sometime and it sure takes a lot of time to look after them and give the care that they need (anyone have any ideas on how we can get some proper help?) and deserve but they sure are wonderful and we love every one of them. They have brought us a lot of sorrow and anxiety but they sure have brought us a lot of joy. Dooks to you all from Cam and Therese, owned by Buddie, Jasper, Benji, Nikki, Scooter, Sarah, Sadie, BJ, Snoopy, Josie and our Lab/Shepherd/Husky, Tawny. Tryntje Miller Net:[log in to unmask] Conrad Grebel College Library Tel: (519) 885-0220 ext. 239 Waterloo, Ontario Fax: (519) 885-0014 N2L 3G6 [Posted in FML issue 1373]