Hi: My wife Jane and myself are also quite new to this list, having lurked for what we had considered to be a decent time. For background, our two ferrets, Nick and Nora (for any fans of old William Powell/Myrna Loy films out there) are still quite young, perhaps 5 months, and join a household comprised of one 220 lbs Newfoundland Dog, 4 cats, a hedgehog, and numerous lesser creatures. All having the run of the house, they somehow exist in harmony, although the dog does tend to run from the ferrets, quite a sight indeed. At any rate, as spring is upon us, I'm curious about a specific question; that being, we normally take several weeks at our cottage, some three hours north of Toronto,and accessible only by water. For what it's worth, our nearest neighbour would be a good hours walk away, so we are quite isolated. Is it possible to bring ferrets to such an environment? I feel that they would likely stay quite close to the cottage, as they seem most interested in remaining near my wife or myself--however, sealing the cottage is impossible; where mice can get in, I feel certain that ferrets can get out, and the mice have thus far defeated our efforts. If the ferrets were prone to stay around the cottage, would it be a reasonable strategy to confine them in their playpen (slightly larger than my first post University apartment, I might add as an aside), or is this plan wholly unacceptable? Has anyone similar experience that they could perhaps share with me? I would be most indebted, and if it turns out to be possible, I'm sure the ferrets would also be most grateful. At any rate, thanks so much for your time, and I can be reached through this list, of course, or directly at [log in to unmask] Thanks so much, Rick McCloy By the way, after a lifetime of rearing various and sundry animals, I conclude that ferrets are in many ways the most perfect pet, particularly for those who enjoy laughter, even at their own expense. Rick&Jane [P.S.] Further to my previous posting, I neglected to mention that we had envisioned using the ferret cage only when we had come to within about two or three days of our expected departure, so as to have them readily available; can anyone comment on whether this might remain a viable plan? Thanks, Rick [Posted in FML issue 2631]