Sometime during the day yesterday Sassy decided to join her friend
Leilani at the Bridge. She ate soup and got her meds in the morning.

It is spring break so 3 of my 5 daughters and I, one home from college,
decided to go to the beach 5 minutes away from the house. It was so
beautiful and peaceful there that 3 of us fell asleep. When we awoke
and got home, Sassy had left. We knew she was heading slowly in that
direction but the day before she had wandered the house as always. She
and Leilani had come from the OR Ferret Shelter last June. Just a
couple of sweet old gals looking for a retirement home. Leilani is the
one who rode to the Rainbow Bridge on the wings of an eagle a while
back. Sassy desperately missed her friend. Lately she began forgetting
where to poop and required butt washes and bedding changes several
times a day. She was still enjoying her life with her cagemates Snow,
Boomer and Jewel and playing with her friends Moxie, Hero and Precious.
She is resting in her cage now with her cagemates and later will be
shown to the other members of her playgroup when the 2 groups get out
together. Later we will bury her near Leilani.

Jewel is devastated. She came with the two from the shelter and was
housed separatedly at first because of her severe fear biting. When I
reached my hand into the cage yeaterday she landed a hard bite on me,
not breaking the skin but just telling me to KEEP OUT. That's when my
daughter found Sassy. When I removed Sassy from the cage to clean her
up and wrap her in a clean blanket, Jewel went nuts. When I finished
cleaning Sassy and giving her some kisses I returned her to the cage
and Jewel once again didn't want me doing anything in her cage. Her
bite was the first she had given in a long time and I undedrstand her
giving it to me. She loved Sassy and was protecting her. Later we took
Jewel and cuddled her, giving her lots of kisses but I think the loss
of sweet Sassy is upsetting her so much that she will need lots of TLC
in the days to come.

As for me, I dearly love the oldies and miss sweet Sassy. I wish that
people getting young ferrets would come to realize that some day their
bouncy friend will require the same care that an elderly person needs.
Butt washes and bedding changes are the final acts of love you can
give your sweet special friend. I just love doing that.

Nancy in OR and her 9

[Posted in FML 7744]