To: Sabrina's former owner

I know you'll never read this, but that's okay. It helps me to write
it. It helps to make sense of how this world sometimes works.

You should know that Sabrina passed away today. You won't know, but you
should. I know your story. Your bouncy, playful ferret was no longer
amusing to you. She got too old. All she did was sleep, eat, and have
diarrhea. What fun is that? So you dumped Sabrina and her sister, who I
named Minnie Mouse, on the steps of the Humane Society. Just left them
there in a box. And then you patted yourself on the back for 'doing the
right thing', went on your way, and never thought about them again.

The Humane Society did what they could to care for them, but they don't
know much about ferrets, so there they sat, two abandoned and scared
and confused little souls, in a cage on the cold floor, right in a
high-traffic area. Never any peace, with nowhere in the cage to crawl
into or under for cover. And they sat there for months.

I don't know what drew me to look at the Humane Society webpage. I
think I had done it maybe once before. But last December I felt this
compulsion to check to see if the Humane Society had any ferrets. When
I browsed their site, there was Sabrina (named Bambi at the time). Her
eyes held a look of desperation, and dug a hole directly into my heart.
I knew she needed me. I knew she was sick. But... I didn't need another
ferret. I already had plenty. I looked at her picture many times over
the next couple of days, and finally did what I should have done right
away.

With a major snowstorm threatening to hit at any time, my wife and I
got into the car and made the nearly 2 hour drive to the other side of
the state. When I saw Sabrina and Minnie Mouse there in the cage, I
knew right away that she was sick, and that she was coming home with
me. I filled out the paperwork and paid the $75 for Minnie Mouse's
adoption. Sabrina was free, because she was 'not really adoptable'.
OH, YES SHE WAS.

I knew immediately that she had insulinoma, and it turns out that she
also had IBD, terms you've probably never heard, and probably couldn't
care less about. I got her on the right meds, and soon she was loving
her new home and the care and attention she was getting.

For 10 months Sabrina was a light in my life. A shining, appreciative,
loving light, the kind that only those who really look can see. Her
diseases progressed, and other cancers began to surface, but there she
was every day, brimming with love for her new daddy. As soon as she
heard me enter the ferret room, she'd perk up and start rattling the
cage bars if she wasn't in my arms within 30 seconds. She did learn
some patience over time, just as she learned many other things, because
in addition to being full of love, she was also really smart. But you
never knew that.

Even in her final weeks, when her weight ballooned because of high
doses of prednisolone and because of growing tumors, she would always
make it to the poopy papers to do her business. She was determined,
and she was stubborn. Even though she had all but lost use of her hind
legs, and was more or less dragging herself to get across the carpet,
her spirit never waned. She wanted to live, she wanted to get lovins
from daddy and nibble on his arm to show her affection. She wanted to
sleep curled up with Minnie Mouse and her big brother Pop. She wanted
to get her soup and meds every 8 hours, and she never left a speck in
the bowl. She wanted to keep going and going, because she was in a
loving home, with loving people.

Up until her final hours, her spirit ruled her failing body. But
finally her body would no longer listen, and she asked me to help her
to the bridge. She and I went alone together to see the vet. We talked
all the way there. She listened to my every word during the 40 minute
ride while sitting in my lap, trusting me to be there to the end with
her. And I was.

I love you Sabrina, and I thank your former owner for sending you to
me.

Jeff
In Memory of Neo, Trinity, Possum, Pip, Sabrina, Misty, Frodo, Baggins,
and Mr. Parker
Caring for Luna, Morphy, Baby Girl, Dozer, Pop, and Minnie Mouse

[Posted in FML 6854]