Hello Fuzzy Family, I guess I should introduce myself while I have the chance. My name is Alecia (or I go by Rae, sometimes, which is my middle name) and I am addicted to ferrets. I live in Washington State. I have four fuzzies which I have introduced before. The first pair, Henry ( for Wad's'worth, is a) Longfellow, and (Mioeskas--Gaelic for Mischievous). They go by Henry and Missy. I think they were born in June 1997, and they are sister and brother, from an unknown breeder in Texas. I adopted them in January 1998 from someone who used to be on the FML and could no longer keep them. Henry and Missy are deaf as a stone. Missy is a beautiful fluffy DEW and Henry is a light-colored Blaze. I adopted the second pair from a family who was neglecting them, due partly to ignorance, and partly because the male "played" too roughly with one of their free-roaming pet birds and it died. The family was devastated by the loss of their bird, a pet for 12 years, and the ferrets went to live in the back yard in conditions which were quickly becoming life-threatening. I won't go into any other details about that now, except to say that I am so glad I was able to rescue them when I did and they have become a very much loved addition to the first loved two. Their names were Angel and Felix when I got them and they seemed to know their names, so I didn't try to change them. Angel is very aptly named, and is a tiny MF albino,about two years old now. Felix is a Sable, a little over two years old, according to the previous owner, breeder unknown, and kind of a little chubster. All four are very playful, affectionate and the love, joy and inspiration of my life. I also have three cats. I've (sorta) had a husband for nine years, from which I have been separated since February of this year. As of yesterday, he has decided that he is now moving on to greener, pet-free, wife-free pastures. So, hopefully what's left of my little family will pull through this and enter the new millenium with new hope for the future, and a chance to start over and make better, more well-informed decisions. I don't know how long I've been on the FML. I think it was six months to a year before I finally adopted fuzzies of my own. Probably sometime in 1997. I have found it to be an extremely helpful, educational and valuable resource, and it helped me to make wise and informed decisions about becoming owned by ferrets. The cute and funny stories people shared about their own ferrets were the most inspirational part of the FML, for me, and fueled my desire to open my home to these silly little monsters. I was able to judge in advance, thanks to the FML, that I had the right personality to share my home with creatures that would thoroughly take over and change my lifestyle, in profound and wonderful ways. I have met some really awesome folks through the FML and am so grateful for the growing friendships, the knowledge and resources and all the work and time that goes into the FML from Bill Gruber and contributing subscribers. This is an excellent resource and a special group of people, in spite of the bickering that happens sometimes. I guess we all need to remember that all families are characterized by some bickering and as unpleasant as it is, it is a normal part of being human. I am glad that we can still get past the rough spots and keep this an effective resource for all. [Posted in FML issue 2895]