>From: Ingella Arwidsson <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Ferrets in cages >One that I had was a real Houdini. All of a sudden he was gone and >sometimes I never could figure out how he escaped - but I got him back >every time, once after 5 days. I'm happy for you that your little one found his way home, but let me tell you that many are not so lucky. We've gotten in dozens of found ferrets who have never been reunited with their owners. We also receive many calls from people who have lost their ferrets, never to see them again. MOF, since '91 when ferret ownership was legalized in GA, we have only reunited 3 fuzzies with their people. One of the saddest stories was from an owner who called me because she couldn't find her ferret, but didn't know how or *when* she had gotten out. I followed up 3 weeks later to find that her ferret had gone into a closet 'that had nothing in it that could possibly hurt her' - all except for an inoxious piece of rolled linoleum propped upright in the corner. But it was too late when she found her nose-down in that tube. My point is that had she know when she was 1st missing & started searching, instead of assuming she was just sleeping in a hidey-hole somewhere for 2+ days, she may have discovered her still alive & struggling. I feel very fortunate knowing a variety of people who have been devoted to ferrets for many years. Through their experiences I've acquired a wealth of knowledge & realize that I haven't scratched the surface of all there is to know about keeping them safe...from themselves. These little fuzzies teach us something new all the time. Everyone on this list is at an advantage having a resource like the FML (& an outstanding moderator, thank you again BIG). As disturbing as some of the tragic stories are, we all learn from them. But for the new owner, or someone who doesn't have the exposure most of us have, how could they possibly know what potential hazards there are if they haven't been told...it isn't in the book. Everyone's situation is different & so is every ferrets' degree of curiosity & mischief. Some people have infants, small children, or other animals (rodents, birds, reptiles, fish, etc.) that have to be protected from ferrets. In other households, ferrets have to be protected from aggressive dogs & not-so responsible children & their friends (who run in & out of the door). While I can appreciate your love for your little ones & concern for their welfare, I cannot agree that everyone is suited to allowing their ferrets full-time free reign. Anyone who is considering allowing their ferrets free reign must carefully examine their situation. We routinely compare being owned by ferrets to having a perpetual 2-yr old child. Sometimes it is in the best interest of a ferret to provide a safe room or comfortable cage to "baby sit" when you can't supervise. Juliana Quadrozzi, Foster Mom GA Domestic Ferret Association visit our web page at: http://www.mindspring.com/~jcrow/gdfa/index.html [Posted in FML issue 2338]