GoodBye, C.B.
 
This morning, I said a tearful "Good-Bye" to someone who has been a part of
my life for the past 8 years. My Cinnamon Bear, a sweet 8 year old Sable jill
who was more at home with humans than with her own kind has gone on to dance
in the fields that lie just before the fabled "Rainbow Bridge". She had lived
a good life and it was hard to make the choice to let her go.
C.B. was my first ferret, having been my second choice after her sister was
stolen from the pet shop on the day I planned to take her home. At first, I
just called her Cinnamon because her slight odor reminded me of the spice.
Then, having learned that her birthday was Christmas Day, I added "Bear" to
her name, after the character in a Christmas story.
Over the years, I added Maximillian, Megabyte, Tribble, Heidi, Sneakers,
Black Magic, Phoenyx and Maggie. Max left me a few years back. Shortly after
I met my fiancee', Anna, she adopted John Dillinger from the GCFA shelter.
Still, C.B. persisted in being a solitary ferret.  A bout with insulinoma two
years ago slowed her down , but she bounced back and hung in there like the
fighter she was.
Last year, she won her first and only Double Champion title from the GCFA
show. It was to be her "swan song".
A few days ago, she stopped eating solid foods, so we started giving her
baby foods and Nutrical with a touch of Brewer's Yeast. At first she ate it
freely, but later resisted so we resorted to giving it to her through a
syringe. On my birthday, which was also Mother's day, she took a turn for
the worse. I woke her for her feeding and she seemed locked in a fetal
position. She was still alive, but just barely. she could no longer stand
or walk and had to be fed and watered through the syringe. I took her to
work with me to continue the feedings, although I knew the end was
dangerously near. This morning, I could no longer bear to see her in pain
and made the choice to end her suffering.
It is never easy for us to let go. I still haven't. Not fully. I hold on to
the memories of the fun times we shared and the changes in my life that have
come about as a result of having had her my friend and companion. If not for
her introducing me to the ferret world, I may never have known a lot of great
ferret-folk and joined the GCFA. Each little thing we encounter has the
potential to reshape our lives. If it is for the better, then we must give
thanks for the opportunity. C.B. was the catalyst for many of the changes in
my life over the past 8 years.
 
Thank you, Cinnamon Bear. We'll always love you and miss you.
 
Roger and Anna
[Posted in FML issue 1196]