Last summer we drove to a halfway point to recieve a 4-5 yr. old albino female ferret who had been "rescued" at an auction sale. She was being sold by a breeder who had bought her from another breeder. Nellie had spent her entire life, giving life, only to have who knows how many babies snatched from her loving care. Her own life was in serious jeopardy when she was rescued. During surgery by a skilled veterinarian it was discovered that she had muco pyometra (Please excuse if not spelled correctly) which would have taken her life very soon. In our home, ferrets roam freely and there are several toys, most of which long time resident Georgie claims as his exclusively. But even Georgie had snubbed all 4 of the soft fuzzy little squeeky toys that I had bought for my ferrets to play with. They include a green and pink turtle, a red and purple "people-like" doll, a white fuzzy bear shape doll, and a an orange carrot with a green floppy top. No one wanted any thing to do with any of them and although they had been in our home for perhaps a full year, they were like new. Well, as Nellie came across them one by one, she immediately took each in her mouth and carted it off to her chosen spot under the living room sofa where I provide soft blankies. She seems to care less if her new "babies" are multi-colored, odd shaped and even "vegetable" in design. You see, Nellie is blind. She quickly learned her way around our house and protected screened in porch. Sometimes when Nellie's "little ones" are bunched together in a pile, I will see her touch each of them with her nose, just to make sure they are alright, then go on her way. Recently Nellie has also added to her family a tennis ball with a bell in it that I had sewn fuzzy synthetic sheep fur around. Once in a while if I vacuum close to her present chosen "nest", or one of the other ferrets hangs around to long, or for reasons only she knows, Nellie will decide that perhaps her "babies" will be safer someplace else. One by one she lovingly carries them all to a new place. Nellie has not been able to accept the other ferrets in her life. Probably the result of too many years of isolation and breeding practices. But she loves my husband and I and plays excitedly with us everyday. Nellie is a gentle little girl and I am so glad that no one will ever take her babies from her again. [Posted in FML issue 2394]