I'm searching for a new apartment, most of y'all know that, so I'm doing a lot of phone calls. There was one fabuolous building I was hoping for, so I asked the lady on the phone if they allowed caged pets (we all know Derv is never in her cage, but hey, it's a technicality); she asked what kind. I told her I had a ferret, and she did one of those sharp-intake-of-breath things. "We never allow <sniff> ferrets in our buildings." So I asked if they allowed other pets; they do, even cats and dogs; so I asked why no ferrets. "Surely you know, Miss, that <sniff> ferrets are highly destructive animals. They chew on the woodwork and mess all over entire carpets. They scratch and can go through walls." Funny, I said, mine never does anything like that. Ever. "Well, they do. <sniff> *We* should know," she told me. I said, "I guess I'll just take my ferret and my money someplace else. Too bad, I was looking for a two-year lease." And I hung up as she said, "Wait, Miss!" Maybe my little baby is an occasional digger, but no worse than cats (which I love) scratching incessantly at doors and carpets. And dogs (which I love) can't even be litter-trained. I called another apartment, and they said that if I give them references proving that I take good care of her, then I can have her. (I told all the people in my cast this, and every single one offered to be a reference. Everyone loves Dervish. :-) Thanks to the letters about Derv's gastrointestinal oddity; I think I've figured it out. Several people mentioned Ramen noodles as a potential culprit. Sure enough, I checked, and my roommate has gotten them scattered all over the house and Scuttlebutt must've gotten to them. Hence, there was much vacuuming today, to Derv's delight. I finally got some Iams Kitten...a small bag, in case she doesn't like it. (That MF food just stinks! My room has no ferret odor, just MF food odor!) I can't tell yet if she's eating it or just playing with it. -(TX) Meghan and Great-High-Queen-Sheba Dervish the WonderFerret, aka Scuttlebutt Ferrets: the only pets that you can pour. [Posted in FML issue 2490]