Finalizing a life we've cherished is never an easy thing to do. We'd all want to absolve ourselves from the dread of making that final decision by our companion simply "leaving on their own". Unfortunately a quiet leave of absence seems to be the rarity. We owe it to our beloved fuzzy friends to allow them to leave with their dignity intact, knowing who they are with some sense of self worth. Early onset "Juvenile Lymphosarcoma" forced me to make that awful decision for my second shadow Josie when she was only 14 months old. Knowing Josie as my constant companion through my work day and at home. Sharing miles over the road and walking trails and city sidewalks - seeing this disease drain the life from such a vibrant friend was shattering! But being there with her for those final moments left me with indelible memories of how she gave me her final kiss, how she did see something fun, and exciting to go investigate. I could have brought her home to expire on her own, once the diagnosis had been made. But that would not have been fair to my sweet little girl. She deserved to go on her own terms, at least with some ability to go on another adventure. Knowing she was loved right to the very end and beyond. Fozzy, a rehome to me, faded after years of battling insulinoma but only months on Pred. He didn't exhibit any indications of being in pain. But he definitely began fighting against his meds at the end and also stopped eating. He went fairly quietly, but the reality was it was days of simply lingering as his body functions waned. Faylene stuck around for another 9 months. I'm convinced she stayed on my account. Then one day she simply stopped eating or drinking and no amount of force feeding, syringing, begging or dabbing could cajole her into eating. She simply said, "I'm done! I want to be with my Fozzy!" I came home from work and she was cold. I wished I could have been there to say good bye to her. Mimzy, a rescue, went into a full blown insulinomic seizure Christmas night. Screaming, frothing, reddened nose and paws, gnashing teeth. Neither Karo syrup, pedialyte nor honey brought her out of it. She passed away in my arms. If there had been time to get her to a vet or one that would have been available that night - there wouldn't be much they could have done to save her, but a quick end to her obvious distress would have been a bittersweet kindness. Texts will report that the ferrets aren't screaming from pain during these seizures - but you can't prove it by what I witnessed. All I could do was hold her, wrapped in a towel and comfort her. Mimzy's former owner said she'd been poisoned by some unknown household chemical. The same stuff that killed her cage mate. After the poisoning she was no longer "fun for the kids" so they put her out back in the cage with the rabbit. Mimzy got a brief lease on a new life for 6 months with me - but insulinoma took her violently. I wouldn't wish that to happen for any other ferret! Kosmo, a naked wandering rescue, became a real ferret, danced and dooked, ate naturally and donned a new full fur coat! But he was an elderly ferret, and although getting treated with Lupron and Melatonin for adrenal and Pred for insulinoma - just short of a year, he started fading, becoming uncoordinated, lost interest in eating unless hand fed and then finally even refusing that, anything he did eat went straight through him, and caused him difficulties balancing to use his potty. I took him to the vet for a final send off. His normal reaction to a vet visit was to stand up and look out or climb out the open top of the carrier. Visit with the techs and other patients. But that day he simply sat up. Sniffed where he was. Looked straight at me, let out a huge sigh and layed back down. He'd given me his signal, to say goodbye. He offered me a final kiss and the tears flowed as he went on his last grand adventure at the hands of the vet. To say its kinder to let them go on their own is to take the easy way out. Sometimes the way they go "on their own' is NOT quiet, nor swift nor pain free. To give them a final send off while they can still be at least somewhat themselves, and know they have family at hand and know they are loved and can get the chance to offer their own final good byes is the harder choice to make - but it is the right choice! When you get to a point where you are wondering if "it is time", then it IS time. For all the moments of laughter and happiness they give us, the quiet companionship during a nap or when reading, their mesmerizing gazes that sear into our souls, the chatter they engage us with, the countless amusements they offer us - the least we can do is give them one short final respite from their pains and problems. Your happy memories will far out weigh the tears of his passing. Knowing you've done what you can to give him his best chance and have offered him a final dignified send off will serve as consolation for the difficulty of the decision. Take heart, sometimes the kindest thing to do is one of the hardest things to do. Cheers, Kim please visit : for ferret help and info: http://holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi http://ferretopia.proboards51.com/index.cgi yahoo groups Natural Ferrets [Posted in FML 6912]