This is Susie Lee for The Ferret And Dove Sanctuary, Inc.
 
The day-before Hurricane Katrina made landfall, we had another long-term
cancer victim succumb to her tumor at the age of 9 and a half, dear
loving and such a proper ferret-wife, Phyllis The Fair Ferret, Mrs.
Buckaroo Babyface.  Buckaroo knew...he showered kissy-licks on little
Phyllis day and night over her last three days.  He knew.
 
Now I will let Wes tell her story...
 
3 & 1/2 years ago, she came to us from a young lady going to college who
loved her.  She was turned in as a 6 year old light sable with much gray
in the darker areas of her fur, but altogether fair.  Phyllis The Fair.
The college girl had met a boy who didn't like gentle little Phyllis and
told the girl she had to choose.  As far as I'm concerned, she made the
wrong choice, for ferrets who are Ladies with a capital "L" like Phyllis,
are invaluable little jewels.  So we benefited by the grace of Phyllis'
presence, a perfectly proper Lady Ferret, fair in every aspect.
 
Phyllis the Fair got her own kind of reward... Just two months after
being turned in to us, she met Buckaroo Babyface Ferret and from their
first meeting, they were nearly inseparable.  She spent most of her time
flea-ing and grooming and "fixing" him, she just so dearly loved to fuss
over her super-gentle big, roly-poly husband-ferret.  Then, after she
turned 9 years "young", and had become frail with old age, a tumor began
growing in her abdomen that was inoperable due to her frailty.  She still
loved to groom and fix her "Bucky-cuddles" every day, until she was too
weak to do that, any longer, and Buckaroo rained kisses on her, day and
night, over much of her last three days.
 
That was when I heard the words I dread "may I go now?, for if I go with
this pretty angel lady with the white wings, this tumor won't grow or
hurt any more." Through tears I said "you may go with Her".  She closed
her eyes, and drifted into a deeply restful sleep.  And drifted away,
with Her angel.
[Posted in FML issue 4985]