To Anon DS, As I hope is the case w/Vanessa, our fuzzies live in our family room which is a DAYLIGHT basement. It was unfinished & we built it from the floor up w/our fuzzies in mind - including a ceramic floor & a half door that prevents them from making their great escape up the stairs. It has windows just like any other room in the house. We spend just about all of our free time (now there's an oxymoron!) there. BTW, at one time my hubby lived in a basement studio apt & my cousin's been living in a basement apt for at least 5 yrs now with her 2 parakeets. If finished properly, they can be quite cosy. NY you know - space at a premium. I hope this is of some consolation to you. Our best wishes to Rascal. Hang in there. Juliana Frodo, Rocks, Anola Gay, SNAFU, FUBAR, Tabu, Chaos & Tuxedo [Posted in FML issue 1905]