Hi, I enjoy reading everyones stories about their ferrets. You don't know how lucky all of you are.(Those of you who still have yours in California, in hiding..I hope) and those of you outside of california. You know California, the state that everyone wants to live in because we're so "open minded and liberal" I remember how much fun my husband and I use to have with our little girl'Charlie' She and our Yorkie would have so much fun playing hide and seek. Charlie would take the soles out of Terry's(my husband) shoes and hide them under the bed. She had a little toy she would hide in various places around the house. I remember how cute it was to see Terry giving her a "baby bath" she actually loved the attention and the rub. I think what was so cute about it was Terry was so lonley after his divorce and was allergic to cats and couldn't have a dog where he lived. I went to visit him in Colorado and we saw a whole bunch of ferrets in a pet store at the mall. I had never seen one before, I told him he should get something like that to keep him company. I went back to Calif. and not too much later he said he had visited a little"fuzzie" that belonged to a five year old girl, and she couldn't keep her any more...so guess who came into his life? many pictures, videos and hours of letters were written about the new girl in his life, he sounded happy again. Charlie moved to Calif. with Terry and they married me. We loved, laughed and shared Charlie for about six months, our friends seemed to love her and were very interested in her, and several wanted to know how to get one, their children loved her too. Such a gentle little thing. That day, we will never forget...someone turned Charlie in to the Fish and Game. They came and took her away while we were at work. Many of you know the story, A "domesticated, legal" dog killed her while in "safe keeping". The point of THIS story I guess is, if you love your little friends and enjoy them every time you watch them, play with them, watch them play ,think about how you would feel if a knock came at your door and the fish and game took them away. It's like removing family, we didn't choose to get Charlie illegally, Terry had her BEFORE he came to calif. All of you who share your stories HELP us to NOT have to share a story with you about Charlie's short little life, and very tragic end. I still cry when I think of how it ended. Help...write to WHOEVER you have to write to. Be careful if you live in Calif. who you share your little secrets with. Thanks, Gail (in Fresno) [Posted in FML issue 1838]