This has been some week! Earlier, during a wind storm (up to 100 mph) the neighbor's tree fell, pulling out out my cable, phone and electric. All have been fixed, but I am having a very hard time staying online from my house, so I finally broke down and fought the mass of geeks, dweebs, and nerds at the library for a spot at a computer terminal. (Ok, I was ONCE a geek/dweeb/nerd, but NO MORE! I now have long wavy hair and am way cool) When a machine finally opened (i.e., someone lost at online computer games or was caught calling up dirty pictures) what did I get? Aaaaccckk! A IBM clone. (spit that word right out of my mouth and wash it with soap.) But here I am anyway, sending this message via eudora. Oh yeah, in my last post I spelled homologous two different ways. This is the right one. Not with an 'e'. Either my hands were dyslexic or the keyboard had a mind of its own. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Q: Why do ferrets take so long when they mate? A: Because they are not that good at playing chess. Actually, it is because the females are induced ovulators. Although once they go into heat they stay in heat, that has nothing to do with ovulation and the release of eggs. It just means they are ready to ovulate. The prolonged mating and associated rituals stimulate the female to release her eggs, and since the male has been there the entire time, he can be sure to be the Da Da. I have read one paper that suggests the bone found within the penis of the ferret has at least three functions in mating. 1st, it helps when hydralics fail (I don't need to draw a picture), 2nd, there is a slight hook on the front end of the baculum which might help to "latch" the male within the female, and 3rd, to stimulate a cluster of cells within the female which speeds the release of eggs. This is why the use of vasectomized males is so effective at bringing the female out of heat. Just makes the eggs drop, and the female comes out of heat naturally. (Same with the shot, but chemical rather than mechanical) Q: Do you know any Missouri breeders? What about vets? A: No, I drive to Oregon for all my ferret needs. I have posted this here, because I lost the address to respond directly. Long story about a dumb guy. Anyway, remail me and I'll respond personally about the breeders because I'm not comfortable with putting that info on the FML. As for the vets, I go to St. Louis when possible. There are two that are very good with ferrets. I go to the Howdershell Animal Clinic in Florrisant, MO. If I can't wait two hours, I go to the Horton Animal Hospital in Columbia, MO (I don't have my address book at this terminal, so I can't give the names and numbers, so e-mail tomorrow. The phone company has promised to re-refix my line by then. I have to tell the truth; I feel good about most vets. I've heard all the stories about bad ones, but in reality, back on earth, they are damn good. I think every serious ferret owner should have their own copy of Fox *Biology and Dieseases of the Ferret*, and I have even given one to one of my vets. I take it with me, as well as a copy of Pam Greenes FAQs, and photocopies of the latest journal articles, everytime I go to a vet, even the ones I trust. Just like with medical doctors, too often we give our decisons away. Don't! Take your info with you, and together you and the vet can do the best job possible for your ferret. BTW, the vets on this list are among the best I have ever encountered. They are here from love alone, and considering how much we bug them, it must be a lot of love. Remember my confession about being anal-retentive about references? I print out each of "our" vet's comments, and put them in a 3-ring binder by subject. That goes to the vet also. Last, start a medical history on each of your ferrets. All you need is a cheap notebook. Write down everything; weights, color of poop, the date you noticed the hair falling out in clumps, etc. Memory sucks compared to a notebook. If done consistantly, it could contain the clues that could save your ferret's life, or at least make diagnosis easier and faster. Mo' Bob and 18 Runnin' Freakin' Jumpin' Hairballs (missing Gus) [Posted in FML issue 1742]