To: [log in to unmask] Hi Sue I'm a touch behind in reading the Ferret newsletters lately but ran across your story about your beloved BUBBA. I'm so sorry to hear of your loss due to your friends care while you were on vacation. I am facing major back surgery (will be in a body cast for 6 to 8 weeks and unable to bend )and my husband and I have thought about boarding our 3 babies out with a friend while I am layed up. This friend has had other ferrets in the past, but now has a dog, cat and 4 grandchildren running around all the time. We don't let our Wolf or cat near the fuzzies for fear of injury. But I have always been afraid that our friend might. Thanks to your letter...(I read it to my husband)....we have decided to try keeping them here while I am recouping instead. I will have to keep them in their cage unless my husband is home as I won't be able to pick up after them or open and close the doors on their cage. My heart goes out to you and Bubba (((((HUGS))))) And for the rest of those reading this...how about a funny story? First off.......never....never...NEVER underestimate your babies! Let me set the stage....... My husband early am let the fuzzies out of their cage to play. I have a medical problem that is preventing me from bending over so I trusted him to make sure the cage doors were locked. We had spring type locks on them. We had gotten a package from my mother the day before that we knew had avocados inside. But never fear cause it was still sealed with package tape. My husband had set it on the top of their cage, as that's in our kitchen area. Then, he went fishing and I went to the bank and grocery store. We both arrived home at the same time. Walked inside to bring in the groceries and what did we find? 3 babies running loose and unsupervised! The box of avocados was now torn open too! There were 3 avocados on the kitchen floor with bites out of them, one avocado on the stairs half eaten, one avocado on the couch (near their favorite hidie hole) and one avocado missing! They saw us come in.....ran fast to their cage, got back inside and sat there with such looks of innocence that we both started laughing! Rascal had sprung the springs! We tied the cage closed (with plastic tie wraps) and immediately went to a hardware store to get new clip type locks. Oh the life with fuzzies! Cheers, chuckles and dooks from the crew.............Stinkey (the leader and chief in charge), Brandy (always running cause there's never enough time), Rascal (the lover Boy), Tashe (the better than thou cat), Lobo (the Guard Wolf) and their Mama too! [Posted in FML issue 1455]