In California and Hawaii, and in a hodgepodge of municipalities around the nation, ferret fanciers live in fear.

They worry about finding veterinary care in areas where their pets are illegal. They fret that their pets will be confiscated if discovered -- and possibly destroyed. And they wonder why with so many more pressing problems, law-enforcement resources are used to persecute a personable little pet.

In California, where the fight for ferret legalization has become as much a part of spring as allergies, advocacy groups such as the California Domestic Ferret Association say there are more than 100,000 ferret owners and a half million of the playful beasties. It's likely not one of those owners -- or the veterinarians who treat the animals in a gray zone of legality -- understands why a five-pound pet is the focus of so much fuss.

"Ferrets are not really exotic pets, except in the sense of being relatively uncommon," said veterinarian Stuart Turner, head of the Pet Care Forum of America Online and one of a number of California veterinarians listed as "ferret friendly" by Ferrets Anonymous, a group working to legalize ferrets in the state and support ferret owners by providing them with the resources they need to care for their pets until that happens. "Look at other pets we call 'exotic,' such as parrots and reptiles. These are one or two generations removed from the wild, while ferrets have been domesticated for thousands of years."

In California, fish and game officials argue against legalization primarily out of concern that pet ferrets will escape and become wild predators of native birds. There is also concern that ferrets have a propensity to bite, especially around young children.

Ferret advocates disagree, saying no evidence exists that any domesticated ferrets have been able to survive in the wild. As for biting, they argue that ferrets are less dangerous than dogs or cats, pets responsible for hundreds of thousands of injuries to children every year. Common sense dictates that no pet be left unsupervised with a small child, they say, and this is just as true in the case of ferrets.

But common sense doesn't seem that common when it comes to the ferret debate, even though support for the continued banning of the animals has been eroding. Most animal-welfare groups are no longer against legalization, nor are veterinary organizations such as the California Veterinary Medical Association.

It's time to accept that ferrets can be as good a pet as dogs or cats, and let the last of the regulations against them fall, starting with the biggest -- the ban in California. For veterinarians like Turner, legalization won't come a moment too soon.

"Our oath as veterinarians is that we're here to treat animals,' he said. "And we want to do our best to treat them, whether they're legal or not. But when people are worried about seeking out care for their pets because of the law, we can't do this."

"For us not to be able to treat ferrets is crazy."

For responsible pet lovers not to be able to keep one legally is doubly so.

FERRET FACT: Fanciers have specific terms for their pets, starting with "hob," for an unneutered male ferret, and "jill" for an unspayed female. Babies are called "kits," and the correct terms for altered adults are gibs (males) and sprites (females). Most charming of all, a group of these playful pets is called a "business" of ferrets (although some use "busyness" instead).

CYBERLINKS: The most comprehensive site for ferret fanciers is Ferret World (http://ferret-world.clayton.edu, soon moving to http://ferretworld.com), which bills itself as "The Coolest Place on Earth." The site has information on ferret care and legal issues, as well as links to other ferret sites and pictures. The music is a little annoying after the first few seconds, but the "ferret cam" animation loop is cute. Serious ferret fans will want to join the Ferret Mailing List by sending e-mail to ferret-request(at)cunyvm.cuny.edu with the words SUBSCRIBE (your first name) (your last name) in the text field. For more information on the ferret fight in California, visit the sites of the California Domestic Ferret Association (http://www.cdfa.com) and Ferrets Anonymous (www.efn.org/(tilde)csmith/).

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international on-line service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

What with jobs, family, housework, hobbies and a million and four other demands, who has time to train a dog?

You do.

That's what Carol Lea Benjamin says, anyway, and she has both the background and the book to help you. "Dog Training in 10 Minutes" ($14.95; Howell Book House/Macmillan General Reference) is the eighth entry in her top-selling series of dog-training books, which she not only writes but also illustrates.

"You can't give a dog just 10 minutes of attention a day," she said, "but you certainly can train him in 10-minute chunks."

These days, said Benjamin, that's all many people can manage at any given time.

"Lives have gotten more stressful," she said. "People are working with their dogs in ways that add stress, and a pet should never add to your stress."

Benjamin's solution is to skip the old idea of stopping everything in your life to train your dog a half-hour a day. Instead, she suggests integrating dog training into your everyday routine -- a few minutes here, a few minutes there -- as a way to build the relationship you want with your dog.

"It's about setting an accessible goal," she said. "Everyone has a minute or two. While you're waiting for the coffee to brew, for example, you work on 'sits.'

"When you set an accessible goal and meet that goal you feel terrific. And so does your dog."

The first goal to set would have to be reading the book, but Benjamin makes that easy. The trade paperback crams the author's 25 years of dog-training experience into a highly readable format, with Benjamin's bright writing and highly original color artwork helping readers pick up the important points quickly.

Her chapters on understanding a dog's body language and solving problem behaviors are lively and succinct. Her theory of dog-training, based on respect and praise, sets the tone for the book.

"There are people who think it takes something away when you train a dog, but you're really sharpening what's there," she said. "The only things you take away are bad behaviors. It's cruel NOT to address a dog's mind."

Or a dog's body, because Benjamin adds that while you can train a dog in 10 minutes, you certainly can't exercise him that way. Bored dogs with energy to burn have more than their share of behavior problems, she says. Still, for those occasional days when you simply can't manage a longer, more intense outing, the trainer offers 10-minute workouts that will help you and your dog cope.

That Carol Lea Benjamin manages to cope herself is testament to her skills as a trainer and her love for dogs. She and her husband live in New York City with two dogs, Dexter, a playful 6-year-old pit-bull mix, and Flash, a year-old border collie with the energy of three dogs. The pair would be a challenge in any environment, but to train and exercise them in Manhattan is even harder. Yet the two dogs glow with good health, good humor and good manners.

"Dog Training in 10 Minutes" was one of two books by Benjamin that came out in the early part of the year. She also made her mystery debut, with "This Dog for Hire" (Walker and Company). The second mystery, "The Dog Who Knew Too Much," is coming out in the fall, and she's writing the third in the series now. After that, she won't say whether she'll be writing a mystery or a training book next.

"I don't do anything without dogs," she said. "Fiction or nonfiction, the only thing I'm sure of is I'm not going to write a book without dogs in it."

CYBERLINKS: Cindy Tittle Moore's rec.pet.dogs home page (http://www.zmall.com/pet/dog-faqs/) is the best place to start searching the Web for information about dog training and behavior. The rec.pet.dogs.behavior newsgroup offers a place to discuss training and behavior problems, although because it's unmoderated, the quality of advice varies. For information on e-mail lists for trainers, check out "The Complete List of Dog-Related E-mail Lists" (www.zmall.com/pet/dog-faqs/lists/email-list.html). If you'd like to watch the best-trained dogs in action, the American Kennel Club's Web site (www.akc.org) offers a calendar of upcoming AKC-sanctioned obedience trials.

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international on-line service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

If there's one thing for sure about cats, it's that they don't like change. Some hide under the bed. Some stop using the litter box. Efforts to soothe others may be greeted with a hiss or a growl, or even a swipe with claws

bared.

While these are all normal feline reactions to stress, the bad habits cats may develop while coming to terms with something new could become a permanent part of their routine. Which is why, for your cat's sake and your own, you need to remember one word when introducing any change to your cat.

That word? "Slowly."

Introducing a second cat to the household is one time when patience is never more important.

Despite your pet's initial misgivings, adding a companion can be a wonderful idea, especially for an indoor cat. More cats today spend their lives inside, protected from deadly hazards such as cars and contagious diseases. There are trade-offs, though: An outdoor cat's life may be shorter, but it is filled with smells and sounds and other animals. We must make up some of the difference, enriching the lives of our indoor cats.

Cat trees, screened porches, edible indoor greenery and a wide variety of toys are important, but so, too, is a playmate. For pets who spend hours alone while their owners are at work, another cat can fill that lonely time.

If you don't have a cat yet, and know you'll eventually want two, it's easiest to adopt two kittens at the same time, preferably from the same litter. Kittens don't have the sense of territory grown cats have and will settle down together nicely.

But even a solitary adult cat can learn to enjoy living with a companion. Since the worst territorial spats -- complete with urine marking -- are between cats who aren't spayed or neutered, your chances for peaceful co-existence are many times greater if the cats are both altered before any introductions are attempted.

Prepare a room for your new cat, with food and water bowls, and a litter box and scratching post that needn't be shared. (Separate gear may be a temporary arrangement, or it may be lifelong; it all depends on the cats involved.) This separate room will be your new pet's home turf while the two cats get used to each other.

Take your new cat to your veterinarian first, to be checked for parasites such as ear mites and contagious diseases such as feline leukemia. When you're sure your new pet is healthy, the introductions can begin.

Bring the cat home in a carrier and set it in the room you've prepared. Let your resident cat discover the caged animal, and don't be discouraged by initial hisses. Let your old cat explore, and when the new cat is alone in the room, close the door and open the carrier. If he doesn't want to leave the carrier at first, let him be. Leave the carrier door open and the cat alone to take things at his own pace.

Maintain each cat separately for a week or so -- with lots of love and play for both -- and then on a day when you're around to observe, leave the door to the new cat's room open. Don't force them together. Territory negotiations between cats can be drawn-out and delicate, and you must let them work it out on their own, ignoring the hisses and glares.

Eventually you can encourage them both to play with you, using a cat "fishing pole" or a toy on a string. And slowly -- there's that word again -- feed them in ever-closer proximity.

Most cats -- but not all -- will eventually learn to co-exist happily. When you see your two sleeping together, playing or grooming each other tenderly, you'll know the effort was worth it.

CYBERLINKS: The best Web site for cat-lovers is the Cat Fanciers home page (http://www.fanciers.com), a superb resource with hundreds of documents on breeds, health and behavior, as well as links to many other sites. The newsgroup rec.pets.cats.health(plus)behav is available for the discussion of health and behavior topics. And when you're through with all that serious Net surfing, visit The Amazing Cat Picture Page (http://www.islandnet.com/(tilde)jensal/cats.html) to see some fabulous felines.

Gina Spadafori, the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," is affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international on-line service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600