To Barb who wonders about getting a kitten: We went to a cat rescue when we needed another cat. Every time I talked to Mary-the-Cat-Lady on the phone, she would be yelling at one cat to stay out of the room where she kept the kittens - he was always scratching on the door. That's the cat we ended up adopting, not for that reason, but it turns out a cat who really likes kittens is a good bet for getting along with ferrets - enjoys their company, plays with them as if theyre kittens, bops them gently when they get too rough, just the right attitude. To Pete who says Where is the Love? - aww. With some pets, maybe most, I think you have to sort of train them to be affectionate. Hold them as long as they enjoy it, encourage them to sit in your lap (think ferretone), pet & shnoogle them - my experience with cats is, over time, they learn to like it & seek it out even if it wasnt their nature originally. with the first of my two ferrets, I think it's also working out that way - she was always sweet & docile but not a cuddler or lap pet - but she's begun hanging out in a lap occasionally of her own free will, even fell asleep there once or twice. With the second, who's pretty hyper, it'll take longer, but I think he is learning to like being held more. It's clear he likes us, but he hasn't slowed down enough to be affectionate yet. Also, I think it takes longer than we expect to build a bond with animals, or at least, that the bond keeps growing and changing with time. In my very limited experience with ferrets, since summer isn't very long. To Meghan: just for the record, here's one more vegetarian (25 years so far..) - never thought of offering soy milk to the pets tho. Hell, there's plenty soy in most pet food, so I can't imagine it'd hurt them. for the record, some consider me to be a little excessive in the pet dept, altho i "only" have 5 (2 ferrets, 2 cats, a single dog); this feels like a perfect population level for now, actually. But my family (who also love the pets, of course) decided I'd gone over the edge yesterday (which I'd been tottering on the brink of anyhow) when I went out and bought a postage scale - so I could weigh the ferrets. I'd become obsessed with wanting to know what Chloe weighed, & the vet uses an old baby scale which calls everything 2 pounds if it's under 5... So, $26 (which I can ill afford) later, I am satisfied to know that Chloe weighs 1.75 lb while Ramon weighs 2.75 lb. We've been enjoying ourselves lately by letting the ferrets have free run of most of the house evenings. Finally figured out a way to do it safely. it's a riot on a quiet evening. I know, you guys know already. The dog's pretty irritated about it, & one of the cats, but the rest of us are amused... Hey Bob C - ...hmm. More blues song verses keep running thru my mind, but I am resisting & not writing them down. I did realize, sorta to my embarassment, that Ramon's blues was to the tune of Heartbreak Hotel.... I hope this isn't too long. I'm just a-rambling. To all of you who've lost beloved pets, I share your sorrow. & to those playing with silly pets, I share your giggles-- --sharin Ramon (more coffee!) & Chloe (wanna dance?) [Posted in FML issue 2549]