Boo was my first ferret, second in the house after purchasing our
Autumn for my BF's son at the time. We decided that Autumn should have
a companion and as an early bday present, I received Boo. I will never
forget the creative way Brian gave her to me. He walked in the door
with a bag from the toy store and handed it to me saying "Happy Early
Birthday". (Yes we are both giant kids and love toys). Among three Kiss
collectible dolls peeked a little furry head. "Autumn!" I said, "What
are you doin in da bag". Upon a closer look, I see that it is not
Autumn, but a little chocolate baby....Autumn's cage mate from the pet
store,.... and my birthday present. Not the one I really wanted, I must
confess, there was a creamy colored panda head that I was drooling
over. Brian said that I could exchange her but that wouldn't have
happened in a million years...Boo was already home. It was the first
Halloween in our new house, our favorite time of year, and two little
furry lives now graced our new family. Life was good. Autumn and Boo
seemed to be the most appropriate names and they were the ferrets that
started it all. Autumn was the master mind and one would think with all
she got into that she alone would have deterred us from taking in more
ferrets. I swear that ferret had wings that glided her into all that
she should NOT get into and was the reason for several arguments that
ensued. Boo was an atypical case of a ferret being shipped too young.
She was only five weeks old at best guess. She had a cold, a prolapsed
rectum and required a vet visit immediately. I will never forget the
battle that ensued with the pet store to cover the bill, how they
offered to take her back under the warranty as if she were a defective
blender and the argument with them that ended in the store deciding to
no longer carry ferrets. A small victory. Boo was more mellow than
Autumn, a low dooker that bounded through the house with glee, just
happy to be free from the cage bars. I remember trying to pack her into
a ferret travel bag to go bye bye and before I even had it zipped, she
would slither out and bounce all over the chair, dooking and dancing as
if this were a game that she had won. Mommy puts me in the bag, and I
dash out of the bag. I win! I win! Dook dook dook!!

Boo had bi lateral adrenal surgery several months ago. She recovered
but required meds to control her sodium and potassium level. She never
did put on weight and a coat though. Still, she seemed to motor along
very well. When we finally moved the ferrets in a few weeks ago and I
created the senior center, I noticed how much Boo had missed me. All
she wanted to do was crawl inside my shirt and sleep, so I moved her
to my bedroom where we shared many naps and nights with her curled up
under the blanket on my pillow. She also favored a wonderful sleepy bag
that I won in a raffle at a show..one of those big, over padded round
designs with a draw string top. Bless the person that made this,..the
elder kids just love it. Yesterday morning, I picked up the sack and
gimped down the steps to fetch her breakfast. In the middle of the
stairway, I put my hand on the bottom of the sack to give her a good
morning wake up pat,...and even through the thick padding, I felt a
cold, stiff lump. I stopped in my tracks on the steps and realized my
first baby was gone. She had passed during the night in her sleep. My
Boozle Woozle was gone. My day's plans came to a grinding halt. I
grabbed some breakfast, cradled Boo in my arms and went back to bed
with Boo on my pillow. This is the ritual with all my fuzzys that pass.
A viewing, if you will,...our very last moments together with just as
many kisses and cuddles as if she were still on this plane of
existence.

When I posted about seniors this week, specifically mentioning my Boo,
I think the death psychic wheels of my telepathic gift were turning.
It is a very dark side that I haven't shared with too many people. In
the past three years I have gotten "vibes" on certain ferrets with a
message that they were "next". It is very heartbreaking and especially
frustrating when I get this vibe on a seemingly healthy ferret. Why?
What is going to befall them? ...and then denial..No, this is wrong...
I'm just being paranoid. It is equally as heartbreaking when I vibe on
an ill or elderly ferret,...all my babies and each loss is so great.
Reiki friends have sent me healing white light which helps heal the
hurt but unfortunately the death vibe continues. Autumn had been
"talking" to me for the past few days. That should have told me alot.
She knew Boo was coming, and was telling me that she was there waiting
for her.

I had some more thoughts these past couple weeks about grief and loss
and how we deal with it. I had an idea that I'd like to share with
everyone that has their ferrets cremated and this may be especially
helpful to other shelter moms. When we have a group cremated, I'm going
to take a spoonful of ash, sprinkle it into the dirt and plant a new
house plant and dedicate that plant to the ferret remains that although
have passed, can now be a part of something alive and thriving, a
reminder that although they are no longer with us, that they do live on
and they are always with us. I can still greet their living reminder
and talk to them every day watching them bloom and grow.

Incidentally, I recommend spider plants for this project if your thumb
is not so green. ...as long as you water it and give it a little
light....you can't kill a spider plant and they will produce lots of
little offspring that you can clip and make more plants out of.

Kimberly Fox
Somethin Up My Sleeve Ferret Rescue
http://companiontalk.terrabox.com/SUMS-Rescue.html
Pay Pal accepted for donations at this email address.
http://companiontalk.terrabox.com/SUMS-tilesoflove.html Fundraiser page

[Posted in FML 5879]