I'd like to thank everyone that responded (privately & in the mail list) to my request for information to help me make my decision about buying a ferret. The decision has been made and in a couple of weeks, my little one-room apartment will be a 'dooky' headquarters. Even with all the great help, I was still up in the air, until two things happened: 1) I was talking with my neighbor and told him I was thinking about getting a ferret. He nearly went thru the roof. He told me that of all the pets he has ever owned, his ferrets were the BEST. He helped me look around the apartment and it seems to be almost ferret-proof already (from a human's eye, anyway). Still have to worry about all the computer cables, but he says it shouldn't be that hard to take care of. Hmmmm.....What was that funny smirk he gave me when he said that???? 2) My lease says I have to get permission to have a pet. So I went over and asked the "new" manager. She says "Ohhhhhh No!!! You can't have a pet". I replied, innocently, "But the lease says I can. All I wanted was some kind of little furry animal that lives in a cage, like maybe a hamster, gerbil, or.... aaah ..... I don't know maybe a guinea pig. You know, something that spends most of its time in a cage, but I could let it out to run around sometimes". (I said batting my eyes). Manager replies, "Oh. something like that would be fine. You just can't have a cat or a dog. I used to have a guinea pig and I always let ot run loose. But you know what I really want? I'd like to get a ferret." To which I suprisedly remarked, "Really? I thought about that, but do you think it would be OK here?" Manager, in a most gleeful, childlike voice, "SURE, I think it would be a really great pet. If you get one, can I come visit it???" Well, gang, we've got permission, we've got a supportive, experienced neighbor, now all we need is a .............. fuzzie!!!!! I'll keeep you posted. Now, what the h____ am I going to name him. FIDO? BTW (By the Way, for those that asked): I just realized (by reading a post at 'rec.pets' from someone world-famous on this list, but I won't mention names) that this group may not be aware of a newsgroup devoted to ferrets. It's 'alt.pets.ferrets'. There are some interesting things that appear there, but this group is much more fun and more active. Thanks all, Ken Loomis PS. To all the fuzzies that played in the 'tub-o-snow's, thanks for your commentaries. FIDO, or whatever his name is, will give you a report. It sounds like fun and he should be here in time for some of that before the last snow here in Reno. [Posted in FML issue 1466]