Wee Crackers, one of our two DMK rescues, has left this earth.
Crackers was "given to me for Christmas" by Renee Downs. An active Ohio
Rescue worker, Renee "chose" Crackers for me because i told her I
missed my little DMK foster/rehab girl, Rosie, that was here for so
long. Rosie, was almost the death of us however. So I made very sure
to tell Renee, good gosh, please don't pick a ferret even remotely
like Rosie. She was too tiny. So firery. A general heart attack in a
bottle waiting to happen for us. She nearly got herself killed I don't
know how many times. So Miss Renee, considerate friend that she is,
delivered unto me ...... a carbon copy. A teensy albino full of "piss
and vinegar". Oh and it got better. I've never had a ferret with an
intact stinker and I never wanted one because I"m too anal ...........
er excuse the joke. Renee knew this ........ so she made sure this
little Christmas ferret was fully armed. Ha ha, joke was on me.
Crackers had been through hell on that farm. She was already 1-2 years
old with broken teeth (from trying to escape her wire cage), was
undernourished, and you could tell just had a rough time of it there.
But, that all changed when she came here! And I made sure her cage
mate was also a DMK rescue for her.
Little girl leaves behind Shenanigans (the other DMK rescue). You
cant speak about one without the other. Together they made up an
entity known as "The Fury". When unleashed, The Fury was quite a site.
Bouncing, twisting little tornadoes. These girls were not just pets but
were "working animals. The Fury could hunt down any critter or bug for
us so we could relocate or dispose of them. They were my first line of
defense in my war against spiders. In their elderly years, the two
lady's reminisced, I imagine, about their days of terror and all the
monsters they battled together.
One of the main reasons Crackers was named Crackers was that she was
a tiny little spit fire of an albino that was like a "firecracker" and
she was a bit crazy (crackers). Shenanay pretty much just followed
suit. Shenanay was only lively when around her partner Crackers.
Together they were a terror. Alone she is just sweet lovable
Shenanynay. And that is what she is today now that her DMK 'sister'
she grew up with is gone. Alone she will remember all the good times
they had together. Zee, who is the only other ferret left here will
take care of her.
I am not here to express my grief over loosing my ferret. I have lost
many and rarely speak of them when they leave. But this time something
so phenomenal happened when she passed away that I just had to share.
Crackers had what felt like abdominal masses. We knew her days were
numbered. She had a few close calls that supportive care seemed to
always rectify. Shed go on, never quitting, like a Timex watch. To make
a long story short, in the end, she had huge masses sticking out and
all the sudden, despite how much the poor little thing gobbled down
she wasted away to a sickening nothing. Yet .. she kept ticking on.
Trotting around the ferret room, begging to be picked up, eating,
drinking, going to the bathroom. But her eyes were slightly squinted
beyond what could usually be considered just old tired eyes. I knew
she was uncomfortable. Surely she felt sick or in pain considering
she was skin and bone and has her insides all jumbled around. I had
thought of putting her to sleep so many times. One time, I even made
it to the vet ... and at the last minute decided not to and went home.
Crackers had good and bad days. What was different this time that made
me go to the vet to euthanize her for real this time?
A little girl visited her and when she held her she started crying. Not
because Crackers was cancerous or going to die. But because she was
shocked by her condition and all the weight loss. It opened my eyes up.
We all know that when we get used to seeing something day in and day
out, we can become blind to it. So that was a wake up call. I made the
appointment.
Just when I went to get her, she ran to her soup dish and ate an entire
meal. Trotted about. I moaned to myself, "are you freaking kidding?
Dont do this to me!" But, I still brought her in. I was feeling
horrible like I was killing her. Right before I had left to take her
in, a close ferret friend, an x shelter mom, reached out to me from
beyond the screen to advise. She told me that before I take her to
start telling her it was time and to make it very, very clear it was
okay for her to go and that we were all going to be just fine. I try
so hard to be spiritual. I really do. But when it gets down to it, I'm
super skeptical. But I took the advice because this was a woman of
great wisdom. So I wrapped little Crackers up in a blankie and off we
went. The entire time I told her the words I was instructed to say.
Once in the room, Chet told me to open up my mind more so she could
feel the words. I did. She got heavier and heavier. It was then time
to hand her over to the vet and when I did I said the words again and
then ...........in the middle of handing her off, she left. Chets and
my eyes got huge! She had just slowly went to sleep, and then ... left.
15 min earlier she was alive and active! I've yet to cry. I'm sure it
will hit me later. But this has been such a phenomenal thing to me,
I'm left in awe. Words cannot tell you the relief I am feeling.
I know you all are used to me "writing". And this isnt' a "peice". I'm
sorry. I just wanted to jump online and share this experience and to
tell everyone, what you say to a little one when its time ... does
matter.
Crackers? Happiness runs honey ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu2wQQV4tKU
Wolfy
ps, thank you Lori Sies, Renee Downs, Cindy Sheidt and Dianne Wall for
all you've done. Special thanks to Alicia Drakiotis
Visit Ferrets Magazine!
http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/ferrets-magazine/default.aspx
Sean and Rocky:
http://www.wolfysluv.com/sean.html
[Posted in FML 7928]
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