Hi Jena! I can very well understand your dilema, and i have a suggestion, see if you can find ferret shelters in the area of campus, talk to the people, i'm sure you could board her, offer to volunteer once a week or something, or as often as you think you would be visiting your ferret, 24 Carat Shelter here in Las Vegas is one of the most interesting places my ferrets like to visit, they have a blast playing with the shelter ferrets, and checking out the cats, i see no bored animals there, most of the shelter ferrets get along and have their playtime together, and it is hilarious to watch them greet each other and play, a good portion of the time they simply go exploring the empty cages to raide for treats, the ones that don't get along have separate playtime and they enjoy their time exploring, and teasing the two legged and the cats, there is never a dull moment at her shelter! I would suggest you look into it, (even if it means a drive or buss ride) not only would you get to see your ferret regularly, but i know that most shelters NEVER turn down an offer for help, and maybee there is a way to keep a long term boarding expense down to what you can afford, On another note, CJ posted about messed up spays that costed crash bandicoot her life a coupple of days ago, Anyone out there know what breeder tattos their ferrets with a green "h" or "q' in one ear and what looks like an "x" in the other, in and around the Nevada area? Lucky has been through surgery for incomplete spay, and apart from showing all the symptoms again, her vulva became swollen again a week ago, I was talking with CJ yesterday, and Lucky has the same tatto's as Crash Bandicoot,(or so it seems) we need to find who is butchering these ferrets! Both Crash Bandicoot and Lucky had/has a strong odor. How many others are out there???!!! Sincerely Josie [Posted in FML issue 2672]