Hello FMLer's For those who have followed the Ferret Math in the Gordon house this year, Baby Girl has recuperated from her surgery. However she and Hillary can't get along longer than 10 seconds before serious fighting starts. Bill has developed a liking for Baby Girl, which seemed OK by me since Hillary has been very friendly with Leroy. Unfortunately for Bill, Hillary has decided he shouldn't see Baby Girl anymore. When he is out with Baby Girl, Hillary watches from her cage shelf and makes her displeasure known by dumping the litter pan, etc. At first Bill didn't mind but apparently Hillary has laid down the law. Now when I put Hillary and Leroy in the cage and let Baby Girl out with Bill, he stays at the cage door acting as if he wants in. Baby Girl couldn't understand why the one ferret she could get along with wasn't interested in playing. Bill was trying to keep peace in the big house. I'm not making this up. But the problem was resolved Friday. A little chocolate 10 - 12 week old MF boy was found in the back yard of a friend our vet's wife. It seems she is the neighborhood "dump your unwanted pet at her house because she will take it in" type person. I was asked to adopt him. He was skinny, scared and had the smell of old car oil on his neck but after a "human" bath and nail trims he joined Baby Girl. So now "Hershey" has joined Baby Girl. Her first job was to bathe him and get the terrible human smell off of him. She has been teaching him to use the litter box (with some success already) and how to play without being too rough. She plays hide and seek in the dryer vent tubes and keeps him entertained. She really is acting as if this were her own baby. Her babies were all taken away from her before, but this time she will have him until God intervenes. And she still gives me the bestest kisses you could ever want! Leroy still knows the best way to get attention is to chomp onto an ankle or calf. He doesn't like to be scruffed and told NO! in a loud voice and most of the time he stops when I tell him no. Most of the time. Well sometimes. OK he bites. But only to show me that even though I'm bigger he's not afraid of me. He's a good boy, full of energy and loved by his new daddy. His coming to live here has slimmed down Bill because they are always tussleing. That is when he's not dragging Hillary off somewhere. Which she seems to enjoy. Also, as the proud "daddy" of Slinky, Lucky, Jack and Jill who live at my girlfriend Dee's, I have to encourage EVERYONE to get Issue # 19 of Modern Ferret. Go to the "Pink Noses" section and look in the upper left hand corner to see what Dee says are the best ferrets in the world. I don't have the guts to argue with her, so I took the picture for her. Thanks Mary and Eric for printing it. Also you have my condolences for I too am going to miss Ralph's tests. While you are reading Modern Ferret # 19 read pages 56 - 57 in their entirety! Thanks BIG for providing this forum for us to share these thoughts. John Gordon in Pekin, IL with Bill, Hillary, Leroy, Baby Girl and Hershey; but still missing Weasel, J.R., Garrett, Striper and Cleo (the best Kitty there ever was) [Posted in FML issue 2480]