Buster came to me, or should I say, I came to him just under five years ago. I saw him in the pet store I frequented and I knew he had been there for quite awhile. He would have been about 14 weeks old when I finally begged my then roommate to let me bring him home, bringing my total to three ferrets. He was *very* nippy at first and absolutely a terror with my roommate - he just wouldn't let go of him sometimes!! It took months before I got him to stop biting me hard and another few months or so before he really started to understand that OUCH! meant OUCH!!! What worked actually was scruffing him when he bit, then biting him back on the back of the neck then grounding him in the "Bad Boy Box" for about ten minutes. The occasional bit of fur in my mouth was worth it, because he ended up really becoming mommy's boy. He was still bad with strangers, especially men (I wonder if a male employee at the pet store treated him badly...) but he became a real suck with me. The 'nip and tuck' routine worked just perfectly for Jasper when we started dating a year ago and after about two or three episodes, Jasper and Buster became good friends. Buster was the most vocal of my tribe - he giggled alot - it wasn't a regular dooking sound and it wasn't exactly a chuckle either. I loved it! He always sounded so happy just to be alive. Whenever I was having a crappy day, I'd come home and hear that little voice, it'd make me smile! He loved to bounce and wardance and we used to play a game on the tile floor of the kitchen. I'd slide him along the floor and he'd come racing back again for me to slide him again, over and over - all the time bouncing and giggling his little brains out! It earned him the nickname of "Burrito Boy" because 'he kept coming back like a bad burrito'! He also had the nickname of Rat Boy because he would get into *EVERYTHING*!! He also loved stealing shoes and wallets - had a leather and rubber fetish and we used to joke that he was into B&D in a past life. In his last week with us, he became a little more clingy, sleeping on my chest for hours at a time - I think he was letting me know that it was okay and he was tired of it all and that it was time. We'll miss him madly but we know he's in a much better place now where there's no pain or discomfort. To all of those that I have been neglecting over the past few months, my sincere apologies. I will get myself more organized over the next while - promise!! Take care and thanks to all of you - you have been very helpful and supportive - I couldn't ask for more. Hugs to all! oxoxoxo Love, George, Jasper and the Tribe ************************************************************************ Georgette Peters Nothing is fool-proof to a Steacie Science Library sufficiently talented fool. York University 4700 Keele Street ***** North York, Ontario ********* M3J 1P3 ***** (416)736-5084 Dook, dook, bjork, bjork! e-mail - [log in to unmask] - Swedish Ferret ************************************************************************ [Posted in FML issue 2342]