I just want to let everyone know that our Skittles has gone to the
bridge. Her body gave out late Tuesday January 17th. We later found out
that she had a tumor in her intestines that errupted and bled out. She
passed on quickly. We had given her a bath and noticed that she wasn't
drying herself or hardly moving at all for that matter. So I picked her
up and she went limp in my arms. We tried to get her to the emergency
clinic which is about an hour away, but we had horrible directions and
it ended up taking closer to 2.5 hours to get there. She had passed away
before we got there. I don't think they could have done anything anyway.
In a way, I'm happy that she didn't stay with us until we got to the
clinic...she saved us and herself a lot of heart ache and pain. We
didn't have to go through surgeries or tests, poking and prodding. She
was in my arms when she went, so I'm grateful for that. At least she
knew how much she was loved right to the very last breath. She was my
little baby girl. Even though she was 3 years old, she had the body
shape almost exactly like a baby, round and playful to the last day. She
loved squeaky toys from the very first day we brought her home at 7
weeks of age. She would hear and come dooking to me whether I had the
toy or not and curl up on me. Later, when she grew up a little, she
would run to the toy like she was attacking it or saving it (we never
could really tell) but she would always dook the whole way. We don't
have the original sqeaky toy that she loved so much, so I took an old
squeaky (not in a toy) and I put that with her ashes. I have this thing
that when my babies pass on, I have their bodies cremated then I design
a hinged box for their ashes and their favorite toy. One day when I die,
I want to be cremated and my ashes mixed with theirs and we will be
scattered somewhere (probably a body of water or a mountain) together. I
know it's just the body, and that I will be with them when I die no
matter where my body goes...but it is a consolation to me now while I am
still alive and carrying sorrow. I can talk about Skittles and think
about her for a short time without crying, but when I really stop to
think about her, and our other babies, I cry...and I honestly don't
think that will ever change...and I'm not sure I'd want it to, it just
wouldn't seem right if I didn't miss them.
 
On a happier note, we have adopted 2 new babies which now puts us at 10
ferrets again, 5 boys 5 girls. We were fostering them for a month while
Skittles was still alive and I think Skittles saw our new little girl as
her sister and knew she was going to leave us soon so I think (and feel
in my heart) that she told her to take care of me and make me happy.
Skittles didn't want me to be sad, she never did like that. I can't help
but be sad sometimes, but Aithnea does really act like Skittles told her
to take care of me, some of the things she does are like what Skittles
would do when she was trying to make me happy again. Skittles will NEVER
be replaced, but having Aithnea helps me to remember all the love I
still have in my heart to give to other ferrets. Everything I do is for
my babies, they know that, and they show me they know that by loving me
unconditionally. I will never forget any of my babies, and I will never
stop loving these little guys, they are life...they teach us life...they
are forever my heart.
 
In Christ,
Ann
[Posted in FML issue 5136]