This is Susie Lee for The Ferret And Dove Sanctuary, Inc.  And this is
our eulogy for Buddy Boy WHite Ferret who passed on two days ago.
 
Buddy Boy White was an abandoned ferret, found on the far side of town
from us, by a man living in West Pensacola (we're east-siders :) in his
driveway.  Not knowing a thing about ferrets, he put him in a cardboard
box, asked all his neighbors who had no clues, either, and called us from
our regular ad in the local newspaper classifieds in which we always put
a photo of a ferret, (at that time there was a picture of a pair of white
ones similar to the foundling) and so Wes went across town to pick up
this rescuee.
 
He was taken straight to the animal hospital, dehydrated and rail-thin,
with a large skin-mass between his left eye and his nose, which turned
out to be a benign tumor that was later excised during a later visit.
The vet said he'd been in poor condition for some time, an old ferret,
judging from the worn-down and yellowed teeth, undersized for a male,
as small as many of the females we harbor, here.  An albino, which made
him more sensitive to the sun's UV rays than most, as with nearly every
albino critter.  Yet as soon as anyone was near, be they critter or
human, Buddy Boy White just exuded a gentle, friendly personableness
that made him everyone's best friend...even the "fightin'-ferrets" who
wouldn't get along with any others got along with this good little soul.
He was Everyone's Buddy.  His best friends were the big cagefull of
hospice ferrets who needed every erg of Buddy Boy's great hearted good
will, so for the best part of 2 years, that's where Buddy Boy hung out
when it wasn't time to go play with all the other ferrets, here.  Then,
about five months ago, he began slowing down and needing more han the
usual two daily feedings of our home-made duck soup.  Turned out he
had an abdominal tumor growing deep and now he was not just old, but
partially toothless into extremely-old, and unable to survive a major
operation for this kind of cancer.  So the doc gave us some torbutrol
for if-and-when he should have been in any pain, told us we could use a
little of the pediapred for edema in the extremities, remember to use
A&D ointment after each evacuation, all our "keep-them-comfortable"
measures, besides which, when we have any ferret winding their lives
down, we keep a supply of the softest, fleeciest, downiest stuff for
their ill old bones to rest on that often has to be changed after each
feeding and voiding.  All well worth it for the nearly two and a half
years we were so very deeply priveledged to have known such a
sterling-hearted little soul.
 
Everyone's best Buddy.  Dear Buddy Boy White Ferret, we are so glad you
found your way to us.  When our own times come along, we hope we can
find our own ways back to you.
[Posted in FML issue 4983]