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Ah ferret follies! How can one resist? My adventures in ferretopia began when my oldest daughter, then twelve, went with my mother-in-law to pick out Christmas presents for her younger siblings. Because Sis is who she is, she stopped at Pet Wild to pick up presents for our cats and dogs. While in there she was attracted to what she later referred to as "A bowl full of fuzzy!" She found out they were ferrets, held a few, got fuzzy kisses and put them all back like a dutiful daughter.

But alas, the seed was planted!

I resisted for nearly a year. The following October, exactly three days after accepting an abused puppy a friend has rescued from it's owners, the mother of that same friend called. It was Halloween when she pulled into my drive and pulled out a tiny cage with two ferrets inside. "Merry Christmas" I told my daughter "Now shut up about how cute they are!" Sis immediately claimed the silver male and named him Casper "Because he's a Halloween ferret!" The female,a little badger looking gray sable, was less outgoing then Casper and more prone to biting so I claimed her and named her Gypsy.

It should be mentioned at this point that I have the most compassionate and understanding husband ever. How many men will come home from work to be greeted by a man-fearing dog, proceed to sweet talk her with Doritos and steak, then three days later come home to see two over grown rats having free run of his bed and simply shake his head and ask what's for dinner and are the kid's all in their costumes? Not many I think!

Skipping forward two years, my husband learned to speak ferret and though he would deny it, was completely smitten by the sweet little "rats". Then, tragedy struck. Sis got up to clean the ferret cage and to feed and water them to find Gypsy huddled in a shivering mess in the back of the cage. My husband rushed home from work to my frantic call and held me as she took her last breath. It wasn't until later that I found out that ferrets hide illness frighteningly well. And once sick, they slide down hill very quickly.

Racked by guilt and pain, I decided no more ferrets. Their personalities make them so likable that you can't help but get attached. Once Casper was gone, we were a ferret free home! I reiterated this numerous times. So much so that the last time I said it my oldest looked at me and said "No more ferretsCheck. Moving on." I glared at him. Everyone knew I was missing my ferret snuggles! Casper was very much Sis's baby and would scramble out of

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