Hello, this is Susie Lee writing from the Ferret And Dove Sanctuary in
Pensacola, Florida.
 
A few days before, I had written all about Felicia My-Dear Ferrette's
ongoing care, including how nicely her warming pad has kept her
comfortable.
 
Well, the night-before-last, our dear Felicia died in her sleep about an
hour after her last meal, simply ceasing to breathe.  She was 10 years
and two weeks old and had been getting diet and vet-prescribed medication
treatments for insulinoma, also had adrenal cancers and had a history of
skin cancers, too, which the vet had managed to safely excise two tumors,
one from her right eyelid some six months before and another from her
left arm about three months before that.
 
Felicia Ferrette first came to stay with us at her 7th year, just over
three years ago, with a cagemate named Bitsy Boops who was 8 and had
agressive adrenal cancers, went into some remission from the symptoms
with a Lupron shot for about eight months( so that Bitsy Boops had
just about 9 months of some comfort from the discomfort of the cancer
symptoms), but died in her own 9th year about two months after the second
Lupron shot.
 
So Felicia, being a reticient personality, or, as I like to say a "beta",
since the "alpha"-types enjoy dominating others, and there are three
basic personality-templates...the overtly dominant alphas, the accepting
and follow-any-leader betas, and the either-way adjustable "Bi's" (who
will be "beta's in the presence of a very strong "alpha" or will take
up the role of "alpha in the absence of another...dogs and birds arrange
their pecking and pack-order in this manner, too) .  Maybe not exact
science, but after hundreds of ferrets and thousands of
observation-hours, I can separate Alpha-types from one another before
they each tear one another up and put beta-types together to comfort
each other.
 
And so, after her pal Bitsy Boops passed on, Felicia Ferrette was teamed
up with two other "beta"-types and a now-deceased tiny "alpha".  The
little "alpha" was Indigo Iridescent, who came in with a history of
treatment for insulinomas, and was only to live another four months with
us, yet she was contented with "her" little troop of followers, of which
she accepted Felicia as a part and they were all content to let Indigo
Iridescent "be the boss" :) .
 
The others were Simone So-Lovely, who is just turning 7 this year, and
Lady CokeLeSweet, (who is, this year, into her own 10th year, yet neither
of these fine ferret-ladies is showing the least signs of their age or of
any kinds of cancers, and everyone has been tested negative for ADV as of
this last November), soon after her former cagemate, Cecelia CinnamonCoat
passed.  And then, for another year, there were three, Lady Coke', Simone
and Felicia.  And then there were two, and one, from when I had to make
sure that felicia was kept warmed and fed and cleaned in her own little
den.
 
And so, now, two little-old-lady-ferrets there are, for Felicia My-Dear
Ferrette has passed on in as much comfort and peace and as free of any
pain or discomforts as we could possibly contrive.
 
In this thought, we ,also, find comfort.
 
Susie Lee of the Ferret & Dove Sanctuary, Pensacola, Florida.  see all
about us, here...
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/ferret_rescuer/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 4396]