Sandee,
 
Well, it happened tonight.  I can't say that I am shocked by this.  I've
seen it coming for two months now, but I didn't expect the way it came.
 
Zeus passed away two months ago and he and his brother Hermes were each
other's only family through some very hard times in a very bad
home/situation.  When Damon and I got them, they were very attached to
each other, but wouldn't get along with any other ferrets.  Damon worked
vigilanty to fatten them up, get them healthy, get rid of their intestinal
worms, etc.  They were his boys that followed him all the time.  When Zeus
passed away, we were very worried about Hermes.  So, here I am, saying
good bye again.
 
Hermes had been moping around, not eating well and tolerating my
insistance that he eat my goop I make for him.  We never did get him to
hop and pop and have fun like he did before Zeus died.  He really missed
Zeus a lot.  This morning, I found a black, tarry poop and we ran him to
the vet.  The vet said that it was blood and felt a ping pong sized mass
in his belly.  I swear it wasn't there the day before.  I feel that we
would have seen it or felt it.  The test showed that there were cells in
his poop, and the doctor felt that it was cancerous and most likely
inoperable.  On top of that, even if we just wanted to do surgery, he
probably wouldn't have been strong enough.  We brought Hermes home and
made the appointment to have him put to sleep the next day.  He didn't
want to wait that long.  By tonight (Tues), around 8ish, he was
convulsing, clicking his teeth, drooling, and wouldn't take water or food.
So, we rushed him to the emergency vet.  By the time we got there, he had
started biting down and clenching his jaw, so I figured I really had no
choice at that time.  I admit, I selfishly made the appointment for
tomorrow hoping against hope that he would perk up and all would be well.
I really wasn't prepared to let him go.  Damon has taken this pretty hard.
As I said, Hermes was his boy.  I was just lucky to get in the way of a
kiss from time to time. :0)
 
So, tonight, another star shines brightly because it was just added to the
heavens.  Hermes is now with Zeus.  They are most likely chasing each
other through tubes like they used to.  Zeus is probably uttering those
deep, gutterly dooks in the tubes and Hermes is chasing him and chittering
and thumbing that big, long, fluffy tail back and forth against the tube.
I hope there are dirty dishes for Hermes to help with and that Zeus helps
him find all his ferrty cousins that have passed before them.  I know
there is one big dooking party going on at the bridge tonight.  There has
to be, because the biggest, most beautiful, caramel colored ferret with
HUGE feet and a HUGE fluffy tail just arrived on the scene with playing
and partying on the brain.  When a boy that beautiful shows up, there has
to be a party.  Mom and dad miss them both and feel really sad right now,
but we know they are together again and I feel that is more important
than anything we could want or desire.  I'll see them again one day.
 
Peace to all and hug your kids.  In the matter of hours or minutes, they
could leave you.  Kiss them for me.
 
April & Damon and the zoo crew
,',',     __
\    `'`,/  \ ()o=;
 `'`','`/  . \/ /
       (  / \" /
        \(_  \(_
[Posted in FML issue 3609]