Glad to see some happy endings yesterday! So sorry to read about the distemper outbreak and so many fuzzies lost from it.So sad..:o( Three years ago, my hampster got sick and had to be put to sleep. He was mean so I didn't get to interact with him much (he did love to run around in his ball, tho.) Anyways, I wanted to get another animal that I could interact with, but would be small and easy to care for. I wasn't allowed to have a dog where I lived and I already had a cat who, due to old age and illness, lives with my Dad. I thought of a bunny, but they just sort of sit there and don't do much. Then, I was invited to my girlfriend's 50th birthday party. At the party, her son brought out his ferrets. I had never seen one before or even heard of them. I fell in love instantly! This was the pet of my dreams! I HAD to have one! Being short on money, I started to save up, read lots of books on ferrets, bought a small starter cage on sale, and a few toys. I visited pet shops that carried kits and played with them. Several months later, I had enough money to buy one. That is how I got Lucy. She came at a time when I was having a lot of problems with my job, etc. and was often depressed. She took my mind off of everything else and made me laugh and kept me going each day. I don't know how I would have made it through everything without her. Greta blessed my life even more, two months later. Never under-estimate the power of ferret love! Lucy has two black spots (of fur) on her tummy between her legs that are her "tickle" spots. She is very ticklish and play bites when I touch those spots! Lucy also gets the hiccups a lot. She practically jumps off the floor each time she gets them! It is really funny! Thank-you to everyone who sent suggestions on the litter clean-up. The plastic bags idea is working well! Barb and the ever-lovin' fuzzies; Lucy (that orange fuzzball just bopped me on the head again! What's up with that?) & Greta (it keeps pouncing on me and chasing me into the bathroom! And it tries to bite my tail! Momma, help!!!) & Matty the cat (these things are better than wind-up mice! They never stop running!) "Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the old, sympathetic with the struggling, and tolerant of the weak and wrong...because sometime in your life you will have been all of these" [Posted in FML issue 2606]