[Introduction written: August, 2001]

Miss Mookie, like so many of my other ferrets, was not a "planned" ferret. She was a shelter ferret that came into my home and weaseled her way right into my heart, and she never left. Prior to May of 1997, I lived in State College, but I was in the process of moving into my new house in Gilbertsville when I received a phone call from a woman in New Jersey. She needed to surrender her two ferrets, and she had seen the Pennsylvania Ferret Rescue Association's website, and she knew that was the shelter that she wanted to surrender to. I was in the process of setting up the PFRA's new Montgomery County shelter location, and was in no way ready to accept surrenders - I hadn't even unpacked most of my boxes. But she insisted that the PFRA was the shelter she wanted to use, so I relented and let her make the long drive to my new home.

When she arrived, I discovered two adorably sweet young little girls; Miss Mookie, and her sister, who was at the time named Michael. Back then, I had only seven ferrets, so after merely only a couple of days, I decided to keep Mookie and the newly renamed Mikayla to myself.

Miss Mookie is an absolute darling. She is beautiful, yet she doesn't know it. She's polite, never nips, not even ankles. She will kiss when picked up, she will play when enticed. She knows the meaning of a litter box! She is a happy soul who makes friends with anyone near her. She doesn't know the meaning of fight and will welcome a new ferret into her group with no hazing rituals that the other monsters may try. Sounds like a perfect ferret? That's Miss Mookie!

Miss Mookie, at the time of this writing, is 5 1/2 years old, and knock on wood, is still in wonderful health. She still has a long, silky, beautiful coat, and has bright, vivacious eyes that lovingly look up at me when she wants some cuddle. She lives with a group of seven ferrets, but her lifemate is still Mikayla and will always be.