that's torn it: Fred is now hiding under the settee and refuses to come out. Apparently someone called him a RODENT!! He begs to explain that ferrets are members of'Mustela Puturious Furo' , closely related to Otters. He says he was bred to hunt rodents-not be called one. He has his little paws over his eyes and is crying that he wished he'd stayed in his hutch-a feeling I know well. It'll take me ages to calm him down now. Oh, what a day: I need comforting-Sappho, where are you when you are needed??