Its been just over a month since we lost one of our four
last-of-the-rescue ferrets, Toast.  His cage-mate Jelly found a new and
special friend in Hamza, my absolute baby, who ... although never having
been around other ferrets took to Jelly right away.  Jelly was an old
fella, and I was a little concerned that Hammy, at only two, might be
too active for him, but Ham just mellowed out to a cuddle love with him,
and saved his dancing and dooking (WHAT a vocal happy boy!) for his
free-range time with me.  As soon as I'd get him out, he'd leap up to
give me kisses and wash my face, groom my eyebrows ... the whole nine
yards.  This from a ferret that had had two pevious owners in his short
life.
 
When Hammy was way young (a MF ferret), he was kept by a child who
handled him roughly and got bitten.  For the next several months, he was
slapped for this behavior before being put in his cage and covered.  Soon
he was covered all the time, and then gotten rid of.  Then he was taken
in by a woman who saw him go into the animal shelter.  She thought her
teenage nephew would want him.  She gave him to the boy, who got bit
once, decided the baby was visious, and ... kept him covered.  He
uncovered him to give him food and water, and that was it.  I heard about
this, and arranged for transportation to get him to me ... that was a
year ago.  Today I was at work when a call came in from my eldest son.
This in itself is not surprising; I work part-time and home-school, so
there are calls about "What's the next assignment?" or questions about
math problems that didn't get asked before I left and can't wait til I
get home.  This call was different.
 
The children know that when I'm gone, only ONE dog, our very elderly
german shepherd, is allowed inside.  He loves, the cats, fears the
ferrets, and generally just speeps.  My two younger children, ages 9 and
10, broke the cardinal rule and let my husband's dog, a Siberian Husky
pup (10 months) in, then went back to watching T.V. and ignoring the
world.  My sixteen year-old thought nothing of it, and kept working on
his schoolwork at the computer.  He leapt up when he heard the crack of a
cage-tube falling.  I have two of the BIG six-story cages, and they are
joined by a double-tube.  Hamza was in the tube, Loki saw him and lunged
at the tube.  He knocked the tube down, and then got Hammy as he went
leaping across the floor.  My son got the dog to open his mouth, and
Hammy turned his head to get Loki's lip in a serious vice-grip with his
teeth before letting go.
 
The vet said it was a miracle Hamza hung on til we got to his office, an
hour's drive away.  The whole way there, I had my hand in the carrier,
lightly stroking Hammy's ears and whiskers ... his favorite touches.
When he'd start to close his eyes, I'd slowly move my hand away ... his
eyes would open, and a little paw would reach out to pull my finger back
to love on him some more.
 
At the vets, we saw him move his back legs ... first time since the
attack.  His tail was flaccid, but the vet had hope that it might be just
trauma and shock.  They were going to x-ray and then gas him so they
could give him warm I.V. to help him with shock.  He's a scrappy little
guy, and young, and was still drinking water from his bottle, so there
was hope.  Before he left to do X-rays, I bent down and nuzzled his
whiskers with my nose ... like always, he reached out and touched my
nose and licked me.  That's when I really heard his wheezing.
 
About forty minutes later, at about four this-afternoon, they called me
in to say goodbye.  He was under general anaesthetic (administered after
the gas, so there was less trauma), and on life-support.  I saw the
x-rays.  His pelvis was cracked.  His ribs were ... crushed.  His lungs
were punctured by his ribs.  His skin was totally unbroken ... I thought
how very odd that was.
 
I said goodbye and stroked him as they disconnected life-support.  I
asked that they help him across rather than take even the slightest
chance that he might awaken to pain.
 
Sandee ... please look for a very funny little fellow that bushes his
tail hugely and leaps sideways the instant he's set to the floor, who
runs and rolls and jumps and climbs and talks a lot, and loves to reach
up with a little paw when his whiskers are stroked... just...so.  Help
him to find Toast, who's missing Jelly, but now may see him soon.  And
help him to find someone whose face he can wash, and eyebrows he can
groom until I'm there to nuzzle him with my nose.  Please let him know
that I'm as eager for that as he is, and that I'll be seeing him soon.
 
Thanks, Sandee ... and thank you to all my Ferret-loving friends who
know, and understand.
 
Oh ... the dog is finding a new home.  He's not a bad dog ... just not
right with little critters.  And his lip is a little swollen ... "You
gotem, Hammy!"
 
P.
[Posted in FML issue 4079]