Hi Gang, Just wanted to add my two cents before the caged ferret issue is put to rest. I know I am probably setting myself up for a flame but I'm going to say it anyway. My girls are caged at night and when I leave the house only because they harass the dogs and cats and I feel that eventually they will get tired of the onslaught or sometimes they just don't want to be messed with. I don't believe that my animals would intentionally hurt the ferrets but they are a lot bigger and don't really know their own strength (especially Dexter)! Therefore, I make sure that the others SEE and HEAR me discipline the girls for biting them so that they will know that their attacks have not gone un- noticed or unpunished and they don't feel that they must take matters into their own hands! Other than that they roam free. Now comes the part that I'm sure some of you won't like...I don't want to protect my animals (any of them) from EVERYTHING! You can't! Life in itself is a risk and I believe that in order to experience life you will have to take a few risks! I love my babies but I would rather have them live 5 FANTASTIC years than a lifetime of nothing special! I treat my animals as if they were my kids and I weigh the risks accordingly. What is the worst that could happen and what are the odds of it happening? for example, my fence goes in today but that does not mean the dogs will never run free again. They're greatest joy is running in the woods behind our house and I would not take that from them! I will just let them have their time late at night when everyone has turned in for the evening (11pm or 12 am). Animals are not much different than we are and they want/need to experience new things in life to remind themselves that they are ALIVE! Just think of the extremes that we as people have gone to to get that adrenalin rush! I want all of my animals to live a full life but on their terms not mine! When their time comes I want them to be able to look back and think "I've lived a full life with few regrets and now I am ready to go home". God bless and love to all, Irena...Lucy, Chelsea, Tabitha and Rikki's mom [Posted in FML issue 1599]