Hello out there. My name is Woden. I hope that BIG and the rest of you don't mind my writing to the FML - you see, I'm a cat - but I'm a cat who happens to love one particular ferret more than you could imagine. Tater came into my life about three months ago and, I'll be the first to admit, I was not very pleased at having the funny looking critter around. All that changed after I got to know the little guy. My mother, brothers, sisters and cousins have had to put up with a lot of strange creatures in our home over the years - the worst of which were those noisy things called 'grandchildren'. When the last of those horrible things moved to Wisconsin, we all figured that life would settle down to a peaceful and dignified existence for us. Wrong! Paw Paw and Mee Maw ran a ferret in on us and we were more than a little bit peepeed about it. My brother, Thor, and I were the two main 'bedcats' until Tater arrived. All of a sudden, this hyper little thing took our bedroom away from us. Thor really got his nose out of joint but I, being the older brother by at least two minutes, decided to give the little varmint a chance to prove himself. What can I say? He's really neat! We play together whenever we get the chance. Heck, he even taught me how to use Mee Maw's computer thingy. Well, I guess I ought to come to the point. Tater tells me that there has been a lot of discussion on the FML lately about ferrets getting along with cats, dogs, snakes and other critters. I don't want to brag, or anything like that, but I do have some advice to offer for your consideration. First: cats and fuzzies can coexist in the same household if you give us feline beasties time to get used to and get to know the little guys - we do have our pride to be considered. Heck we don't like it even when a new kitten comes into our territory. Second: cats, dogs and ferrets can live together as long as everybody knows who the boss is. Tater thinks that he's in charge but I really am. Just remember, If a dog has anything against cats and ferrets, he's not a dog worth having. 'Nuff said about dogs. Third: OK, if you just can't resist messing around with those snakes and other reptiles, please remember one thing. If the snake is larger than the ferret or cat, don't let them play together. If the snake is smaller, forget that too. I once saw my mother turn a garter snake into a rubber band. Tater says that sounds like a lot of fun to him - he would love to prove that he's related to mongeese (gooses?). Fourth: cows - forget it. Even Winn Dixie, the beef people, won't buy a ferret slaughtered cow. Finally: (bet you thought I'd never get here) The main thing to remember when introducing one critter to another is to use your common sense. The bigger, meaner animal will always try to get the best of the smaller one - this rule is frequently suspended when it comes to ferrets - they can take care of themselves. MOST IMPORTANT: Make sure that all of your 'pets' receive equal loving and the assurance that every one of them is special to you. If you follow this simple advice - and use your common sense- you will find yourselves with a Christmas card that will put the lion and the lamb to shame. I'll close now. Tater says it's his turn. Wonder when Mee Maw & Paw Paw are going to get them a computer? Woden - Tater's best friend. [Moderator's note: Cats can post too. The FML does not discriminate in regard to species, fur color, ECE status, etc. etc. BIG] [Posted in FML issue 1419]