Ferrets are nothing if not lively to live with, and people who fancy them can't imagine life without these domesticated members of the weasel family. Ferrets are rarely dull to watch, always playing and investigating, and often getting into trouble, especially if not watched.

While they're not legally kept everywhere -- California is the biggest holdout against ferret legalization -- ferrets are a perennially popular pet, for good reasons. (That's true even in California, where countless thousands of ferrets live "underground.")

A Web site with good basic information is Ferret Central (www.ferretcentral.org). VeterinaryPartner.com also offers care guides, with a special emphasis on ferret health issues. As for those still hoping for ferret legalization in California, Ferrets Anonymous (ferretsanonymous.com) keeps track of the fight.