Hi Diane, I'm so sorry to hear that Ethel hasn't been found yet. I'll keep my fingers crossed that she'll be spending Christmas with you. About your rescue, I'm really glad to hear you gave in to that call and took her. Sounds like she desperately needed a new home. I'm fostering a boy right now who seemed to have a similar past. The story I got was that a girl got him when she was a high school freshman. Now she has graduated and doesn't want him anymore. A friend of her brother (or something like that) turned him over to one person, who is a ferret owner, and a good one, but couldn't keep him. So he was given to a shelter mom. (All this was in the span of about a week). She had him 1 week before I took him. In the first 2 weeks I had him he gained 6.5 ounces! He was all skin and bones. He has now filled out beautifully! He was an only ferret for 4 years. Because of that, he has been terrified by my others. I've had him for about a month now. Last night, I had let my fuzzies out to play and as usual he watched from inside his cage and acted like he wanted to join them. Now, I have a male that doesn't like other males so joining the whole group is not an option, but after my male had his playtime, I figured I'd leave the others out and let my rescue out to see if anything had changed (all the other times I've done this, he is just terrified to come face to face with another ferret). I watched him and after quite some time, HE initiated some play with one of the others!! I couldn't believe it! And the one he wanted to play with is my most rambunctious 16 week old! I'm still ecstatic about it! There is hope that he won't always have to live alone! Unfortunately, due to my male thinking there can only be one sultan of this harem and it's him, my rescue can't stay here forever. He is going to his new home today (this is not a plea for you to take him!). He is just the sweetest thing ever. He gives me foot baths every night! He has never bitten or even nipped. I'll never understand how an animal (like this boy or your new Meg) can be treated so badly and still be so trusting and so nice! I give the animals a lot of credit. I wouldn't be so forgiving if the situation were reversed! Anyway, congratulations on your new fuzzy and all my hopes and prayers that Ethel comes home soon. Kim and The Six Sooper Poopers [Posted in FML issue 2532]