>Health issues: I for one am all in favor of keeping the health-related >stuff coming. For those who complain about the health-related stuff-- >owning a pet is equal parts fun and _responsibility_. Hey, Regina, I think your post was in regard to mine and you totally misunderstood its intentions! I was not complaining! I have been a pet owner since the day I was born and a very dedicated pet mom at that. I just spent 2 weeks in September administering subcutaneous fluids to my Siamese cat who I brought back from the jaws of death. He had a mysterious virus or poisoning that attacked his liver and baffled two vet clinics. I spent every waking moment with that poor animal Including holding him on his litter pan. I also spent over $500 on trying to diagnose him even though we were unemployed with two people children to care for. My question to my fellow ferret folks is this: With other pets, it seems that for the most part, prevention is the key to keeping your pet healthy. But with ferrets, there are so many things that just go wrong with their little bodies, that I'm wondering if it is a major reason why a lot of people don't want to take on the responsibility of one. They seem to be a potential heartbreak to begin with. Now, as far as having a pet in one's life, my philosophy is that it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all! However, so much can go wrong with our little fusses and it's taken so matter of factly that they most likely will develop one of these horrifying and costly problems in their lifetimes. It kind of plays games with your emotions to have to be worrying about these problems in this way. Maybe it's just that being a caring pet owner that takes the time to get involved with this info on the FML exposes one daily to so many negative things about owning ferrets. On the other hand, it's a wonderful tool to help one take care of their animals and definitely highlights the joy of having ferrets be a part of our lives. I never intended to sound like I didn't want FMLers to write in about their ferret illnesses!! Isn't this one of its major purposes -- to be a forum for the problems as well as the joys, and a resource to professionals as well as other owners to tap all that knowledge and experience? I just wanted to know if anyone else ever gets to feeling a little down about the worries we ferret folk go through. As a cat, dog, rabbit, bird, rat, hamster, gerbil, toad, turtle, chameleon, and current ferret owner, I find their potential health risks quite nerve-racking. Just reading the health FAQ had me scared stiff and wondering what I had gotten myself into. I don't remember ever looking through another pet care manual and feeling this way. As for my fuzzies, they are the spirit of joy embodied in fluff! I wouldn't trade them for anything!=20 Gaye [Posted in FML issue 1820]