Rug Lumper was a rescue given to me by a shelter.  He was mated to
another who were a pair for about 4 years, their age.  Both are males
and just the sweetest guys one could ask for.
 
Rug Lumper began to loose weight so I spoke with the shelter about what
food they were used to, it seems I use the same base food so was not sure
that the food was the issue for Rug Lumper not eating or his loosing
weight.
 
At first he just lost a little weight and this was atributed that to the
change in residence.  Older ferts get very sensetive to changes and any
change in lifestyle can cause emotional distress and weight loss.  Rug
Lumper continued to slowly loose weight, i watched him very closely, as
close as I could when not working.  He seemed to be eating but maybe not
enough so I tried to administer Duck Soup, a formula given to me by Carol
McCraing at Va Beach who has well over 100 ferts at any one time.  Rug
Lumper did take some but was not at all receptive to the feeding so I
stopped.
 
He continued to loose weight slowly but was eating like a horse last
couple weeks.  I thought that was the end of his trauma but was not the
case.  He just continued to loose weight.  The Vet was not able to
determine any reason for this but as long as he was eating so much the
Ver suggested I wait a bit to see if all his eating would do some good
for his weight gain.
 
On Tuesday I noticed he stopped eating.  Wednesday AM I checked on him
before I left for work, he was sleeping in Byte-me's box (a wood box
about a foot cube with a hole in one side and the inside lined with soft
carper with soft rags inside the ferts use to curl up in.
 
When I got home Rug Lumper had crossed the bridge.  Mr. Clean was under
the cage and in obvious confused state.  He would not come out but stared
at the box.  I picked up the box and took it outside (it has a removable
top so I can look and clean inside) and took Rug Lumper out and burried
him with the rest.  Mr Clean would not move until I had removed that box
from the room and just stared at me in a state of total confusion.
 
I cleaned the box inside and out and went to Mr Clean who was where the
box used to be, he was searching for his buddy.  This morning and now
he has been serching for Rug Lumper but of course he is gone to meet
Byte-me.  Is so very sad to see these animal express their sense of loss
as they do.  I now spend allot of time playing and handling Mr Clean to
hopefully take his mind off the loss but I know that can't be erased, a
fert never forgets!
 
Loosing a great sweet little animal is tragic and a very disheartning
event.  I have come to understand the fert but still learn about them non
stop, there is so much to learn about them, and the world in general.
 
May Rug Lumper find Byte-me and join the others in ferret heaven and
hopefully they all will greet me when it becomes my time.
 
Gordon and Mr Clean.
Missing Podo, Bud, Nibble-ed, Kodo, Byte-me and Rug Lumper.
[Posted in FML issue 4996]