hi my fellow ferret-fanatics. this is linda, the one who originally posted the question about the difference between declawing, descenting, and all those other de-things. i'm absolutely amazed at the number of people who responded to my original post. and i'm absolutely stunned by the quality of those responses. i brought up a potentially explosive subject, one that just *begged* for rude, crude, and unattractive responses. but what i received were honest, caring, intelligent, wonderful responses. i didn't receive a single flame. you guys are great. for those of you who didn't receive (or don't remember) my original post, here's my situation. i have 4 fat and sassy (and declawed) felines, 13 and 14 years old. i love these cats. i usually sleep without a pillow because joshua and raven get to it first, and i don't have the heart to shoo them away. and i also adore resting my ear against joshua 'cause his purr is so soothing. loud, but soothing. he purrs like an old car that badly needs a tune-up. he idles kinda rough. and misty curls up in the bend of my knees, and i cramp up because i have to stay in the same position all night, because i just can't disturb misty. and i worry about flossie, my shy puss, because she won't come share body warmth, and i'm scared she's freezing to death. oh yeah, we're all known to lick yogurt and ice cream from the same spoon. yum. and i have 4 dooking, wardancing, speedbumping, pooping (NOT declawed) weasel-faced juvenile-delinquent furry little kleptomaniac ferrets. i love these ferrets. they're all less than 2 years old. you know, you're ok until you get one. just one. and then it becomes just two. and how much more trouble could a third one be? and then you simply must get a fourth...they curl up in pairs. and they give me the giggles like you wouldn't believe. and they absolutely terrorize the fat cats. the cats hate it. but they also love it. it's a zoo around here. anyway, the point is that my pets are my kids. i'm sure you all know the feeling. and when i asked why declawing was different from neutering, etc., i was sort of playing devil's advocate. but i was also sort of serious. and i thank you all for sharing your insights with me. i'm seeing things in a completely different way. and, may i say just one more thing? (i know this post is getting unforgivably LONG....) to all of you who have recently lost a little friend...within the past 10 years or so, i've had to face the loss of skippy (a ferret-friend) and kitty (a feline-friend.) and it hurts so much. and you look back, and you picture their sweet little faces, and how they were always so happy when you came home. and you remember how their whole little lives were centered around you. and it hurts like hell. so take time to grieve. you need to grieve. cry and scream and pull inside yourself. you have the right to do this. they were your little soul-mates. you need to do this. and, slowly, day by day, the pain will lessen. it really will. and you'll come to realize that these little critters led happy, secure, warm and contented lives, just because of you. you made them happy. and when you realize this, it feels really good. anyone out there grieving over the loss of a furry little friend, if you need someone to talk to, please e-mail me. anyway, thanks for all the wonderful info. you guys are great. linda [Posted in FML issue 1373]