I don't know why Gem's death from adrenal disease a week ago has
affected me so profoundly, it just has. She came to me like so many
others....abused, underweight, neglected. Her companion was Sneaky, a
vicious biter, who had been so abused that the sight of a human made
her shake all over. It took 10 months of love before Sneaky stopped
biting. Gem never bit, ever. Nor was she a kissy ferret. I guess that's
why it affected me so greatly when she gently touched my lips with her
nose two days before she died. We both knew that the end was near. She
became thinner, balder and weaker. I talked a lot about a wonderful
place where she would be going. I told her that she would see her
Marshall Farms ferret mommy and to tell her that I will adopt her too
so she has someone to wait for. I had been telling Gem for quite a
while that the little tufts of white fur on her shoulders were her
wings sprouting and that her little naked body would soon be covered
with beautiful fur. All the treatments for the adreanl disease had
ceased to work their wonders and she and I both knew it. Her cagemate
Sneaky never believed it for a minute. When I brought Gem home from her
final vet visit, I placed her body back in with Sneaky so she wouldn't
think that her special Gem had simply vanished. In all my years of
loving ferrets I have never seen one grieve like Sneaky. Whenever I
tried to remove Gem's body the next day, Sneaky would destroy her cage.
Gem's body spent 2 days and 2 nights curled up in a blankie in the
cage she had shared with Sneaky for 3 years and 1 month. After talking
with Chris at the OR Ferret Shelter for support, I gently removed Gem
from the cage and buried her near so many others. Sneaky has spent the
entire week making audible crying sounds, destroying her cage, not
eating for a long time and then stuffing herself until she was almost
sick. My daughter put Tyki in her cage several times this past weekend
just to calm her down. Tyki loves everyone, especially Sneaky and Gem.
He too was devastated when he saw Gem's body, sniffing her from head to
tail...but then again he loves everyone...unlike Sneaky who only loved
Gem. I just can't seem to stop grieving either. I don't know why except
that tiny Gem was very special to both Seaky and me.

Nancy and her 13..... missing sweet Gem

[Posted in FML 7258]