Mikey,one of my ferrets, **loves** stuffed animals.  His toys seem to
serve as a kind of security blanket (which is understandable given his
reported experiences prior to my adopting him!) Knowing that, I brought his
(read used to be mine <VBG>) toy cow along during his most recent trip to
the vet.
 
    Briefly, it would appear Mikey has adrenal disease.  The vet
unsuccessfully attempted to draw blood to assist her with the diagnosis so
that will mean a return trip on Saturday.  Right now Mikey has the classic
signs and symptoms of adrenal disease so we are preparing for surgery.
 
    This brings me to the subject of this posting <G>.  I just found the
ideal post-operative companion for Mikey!  His name is Teddy Warm Heart.
Teddy was developed for hospital use to warm premature infants when out of
their incubators.  He is a plush (washable surface) bear with Thermal
Ceramix at the core of his torso.
 
     I already introduced Mikey to Teddy -- they hit it off immediately  :-)
 
    BTW, for those of you who may be concerned about the core material,
Mikey has never shown any interest in chewing on his toys.
 
    Please give all your "kids" a hug -- that kind of warmth seems to be the
most healing!
     Irene & Kids
[Posted in FML issue 1349]