Hi ferret lovers! I just bought my first ferret -being a CA. citizen- in Las Vegas... I love him, and I think I will always have ferrets around me from now on. I've been following FML for a while, and I remember, few weeks ago someone asked about angora ferrets. I don't remember, was there an answer for it or not, but I saw angora ones in a petstore, in Vegas. They were about three times as expensive, as the "regular" ferts. I also remember a discussion about european ferrets, being bigger or not, then the ones we have here, in the States. I don't know, who answered, but he said, those are even smaller, than ours. In the same petstore (mentioned above) I saw some bigger ones, priced 50 dollars higher than others. I asked, what's the different, and the assistent told me, they were european ones, and they will grow to about 5 pounds(females) to 10 (males). He also said, that they are a lot nippier, than the others. They looked bigger, but when I asked, how old they are, he said three months old. I never had a ferret before, so I couldn't compare the size to a normal three months old ferret, but my 9 weeks old boy is about half a size of them. So I'm just still confused, what's the deal with these european ferrets. I'm from Hungary, and I've seen ferrets over there before, they didn't seem giant to me... One more thing. On the ferret FAQs, there is a question: "I'm allergic to cats. Will I be allergic to ferrets?" The answer is: You really can't tell. Well, I have severe allergic to cats (Altough I love them, imagine, you want to love something, and you get sick from it...), with a good combination of asthma. Cats are simply impossible to handle for me, that's one of the reasons why I wanted a ferret. I had my councerns, what if I'm allergic to ferrets, as well? Here in Ca, I can't walk into a petstore and handle ferrets, just to check the reactions, and I don't know anyone here with ferrets, who I could have gone to, for the same reason. So I gambled. Guess what: I'm allergic to ferrets, too! But it's really mild, only sneezing, and it's pretty controllable with drugs. A LOT BETTER, than with cats. So the point of the story is: Just an add to the FAQs. If you have severe allergic reactions to cat fur/soliva, and/or other furry critters (like dogs, in my case, I have MILD allergy to dogs), than you have a really good chance to be allergic to ferrets, as well. If you don't want to take the chance, or you don't want to risk your health and the amount of your kleenex usage, don't even think about getting one, unless you are at least as crazy, as I am. You will end up with an other "shelter ferret" and I don't think anyone would want that happen. I still have one more question: My little ferret (no name yet, altough mazula (spelled mazsola in hungarian) meaning raisin is something to think about, thanks for the idea) will not eat anything else, besides his Marshall Ferret food. Not even Ferretone!!!!!!!!!! Nothing! I offered him just about everything I could find in my kitchen, but nothing works. Is this normal at a young age (9 weeks), or is it simply just the too much excitement (I bought him on monday)? Someone wrote something about the smell of the Marshall Ferret food. I think, as long as they find it appetizing, and it cointaines everything, what they need, and they are happy with it, just let them have it. Mine loves it. Finally we are not the ones, who have to eat it, so why should we worry about the smell?! Thanks for listening Sylvia & Mazsola(?) Smokey (dog): Now, if you bought that furry, smelly, jumping little thing for me, why don't you let me have it???? Scott (husband): HHHEEELLLPPP....! [Posted in FML issue 1717]