If you have any questions for the FAQ, e-mail barnaby@ferretlovers.com. Barnaby may answer your question here! Also, please bear in mind that Barnaby is not lacking in the ego department ["Hey! I resent that remark!"], so don't hold me responsible for anything he says!

What type of ferret are you?

Hey, what kinda question is that supposed to be?! I’m a cool ferret, of course. But if you mean color, well, I’m supposed to be a chocolate ferret. I personally think I look more like a sable ferret than a chocolate ferret, but Melissa tells me I’m wrong.

Does Melissa have a ferret?

Yes, she has one named Pepita Pew, and she's a chocolate sprite (that sounds like a good drink!). I can say in all honesty that Pepita is a very good-looking single ferret. She was born in 1996, and Melissa has had her since she was a tiny baby. She got her at a ferret show, although she was already picked out before then, through e-mailing her breeder.

How old are you supposed to be?

I don't really know! Maybe one year old. Like most other cartoon characters, I don't age in "real-time" or I'd already be kind of an old ferret. You can pretend I’m any age, even the age of your own ferret(s). But I’m definitely not a kit (in some unpublished cartoons, I hang out with smaller, younger ferrets).

What is your favorite Barnaby cartoon?

My favorite one that has been published is "The 'Dooks' of Hazard" in issue #18. Although this wasn't the first one published, it was the first Barnaby cartoon Melissa ever drew, so this is the cartoon which shows my "birth." The original plot of the strip was to always do a play on words of "dook," which is the vocalization ferrets make...ferrets that don't speak English like I do, that is.

How did Barnaby get his name?

Melissa really likes silly names that are play-on-words, like Ima June Bugg or Harry Shaver (these are real names people have been given!). You can probably tell this from her ferret's name...her name is Pepita Pew, after Pepe Le Pew, the skunk on Bugs Bunny. Barnaby A. Ferret is supposed to sound like "born to be a ferret." At one point she wanted to get a male ferret and name him Wylieky Odie -- see if you can figure that one out! Answer on the bottom of this page.

Do you take input for cartoons?

You can’t boss me, ol’ Barnaby, around! But if you have a good idea, Melissa might like to listen to it. Click on "contest" in the left-hand column. I can't guarantee it will be published, though. Sharon L. Bearden and R. McFarlane are a couple of people who have sent in ideas for some of the cartoons that have not been published yet. You can look at the cartoon archive under "The Dook" and "Barnabette" for two ideas from visitors.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

I can solve this age old question, lickety split. In my ferret food ingredient listing, "chicken" comes before "egg." Next question.

What is the difference between a wild ferret and a domesticated ferret?

Oh, about 300 miles. Nah, just kidding. Well, a lot. First of all, there really isn’t such a thing as a wild ferret. You can't find "me" in the wild. If you’re thinking of wild ferrets, you might be thinking of a black-footed ferret, which is a distant relative. Us domesticated ferrets are more closely related to polecats.

Are you ever going to go in the newspapers?

Hey! I resent that statement! I am pretty well litter-trained, when I want to be! [Note from Melissa: I really don't have any aspirations to be a cartoonist for a living or to get Barnaby into the "dailies." It's hard enough drawing cartoons every once in a while -- I can't understand how professional (as in paid -- ha ha!) cartoonists come up with so many ideas. It gives me a lot of appreciation for what they do. :) Aside from that, I'm not good enough to go in the newspapers!]

Where do you appear?

Aside from this website (barnaby.loveslife.com), I’ve been a few others places.
Barnaby cartoons have appeared in Modern Ferret magazine since 1998 (issue #16).
I also like to hang around on ferret shelter logos, including the one seen at right (West Central Ohio Ferret Shelter), and Slinky's Place Shelter.
Cartoons were auctioned off at the 2000 Oregon Ferret Association's Fun Fair. They can be seen from the links provided in the left-hand column.
I hope you enjoy my cartoons, and can't wait to see where I pop up next! Like all ferrets, I get around!

Note from Melissa: Barnaby is based on my ferret, Pepita. But I also get great ideas for cartoons from visitors...there's a little bit of Barnaby in any ferret! If you have any, I would love to hear from you! Click on "Contest" in the frame to the left.


Answer: Wylie Coyote, another character on Bugs Bunny. Now, I would probably like to name a male ferret...well, guess? Barnaby! :) If you name your fuzzy after Barnaby, I'd love to see a photo...thanks! ~ Melissa