I read the post from an anonymous poster about ferret math and people giving up their ferrets, I tend to agree with this author. I am not accusing anybody of not loving their animals, so do not flame me! Here is my perspective on adopting any animal: Do the research. Ask questions such as, "what types of illnesses and vet bills can I probably expect?" "how much time and care does this animal need?" etc... I understand about financial constraints "suddenly" occurring, but I do think there are ways to keep ferrets even if you "think" you cannot afford them. It is simply a matter of how far you are willing to go to make it happen. After all, if your financial situation changes, do you suddenly put your human child up for adoption? Not likely, so why would you do this with your pet? Animals are a full-time commitment, and should not be taken lightly. We have a problem with over crowded shelters and unwanted/neglected animals because people are not willing to "go the extra mile" to keep their animals. It is a lack of dedication and responsibility that I see, nothing else. Here is a story for you. There is a homeless man who lives on the streets in Seattle. He has a dog. This dog is fed before the man eats, this dog is taken to the vet on a regular basis and the man pays for the vet bills (probably reduced because the vet feels bad for him), but the man uses his money on his dog before he even thinks of himself. This is an extreme case, but to those of you who have acquired too many ferrets to care for, think of this man. He loves dogs, but realizes he can barely afford to have one (let alone seven). I am just stating that this is the type of owner that we should all aspire to be. It is a TRUE story, I have spoken with this man and given his dog food. His dog goes EVERYWHERE with him. Sometimes I think this dog has the best life a dog could have - his owner cares more about him than himself. I have four ferrets and that is where "the buck" stops. I know that I do not have the time to care for more than this. I have spent about $1,000 in the past two months for supplies, vet bills and more. This is not the way I would like to spend my money, but these ferrets are very important to me - they are my children. I turned down a job that pays twice what I am making now because it required lots of travel and I just could not stand to leave my ferrets for that amount of time. The amount of money I was offered would have been great (and my husband thinks I am nuts not to take it) but I have other responsibilities. One of my ferrets has insulinoma, and I could not imagine being away and finding out that he passed over the rainbow bridge while I was gone. I know that some people are not as dedicated to their pets, but I feel strongly about the commitment part. Why would you obtain seven, if you were unsure that you could afford them? This is silly. I would not go out and have lots of children without considering the financial constraints. Welfare is a whole other issue, but I will not go there for fear of being flamed. I think it is very trashy and irresponsible of people to take other "living beings" into their lives without the above considerations. SHAME ON YOU FOR BEING SO SELFISH! On another note: If you are interested in beanie babies, why not go to a "beanie baby" chat room? This forum is about ferrets and their owners, not stuffed animals. Sorry if this offended people, but I had a really bad week. This was due, in part, to the association that I belonged to and my dealings with some very selfish people. Take care and kiss your babies. [Posted in FML issue 2774]