Rocky died night before last at the age of eight years, after an almost
two year battle with insulinoma.  Her death had been expected for several
days, as she had become progressively weaker from the disease and finally
unable (or unwilling) to eat, but knowing sure doesn't make it any easier
when it finally happens.
 
    For those of you who don't know of Rocky, she came to us from one of our
sons' teenage friends whose mother was tired of his pets which included from
time to time such things as a monkey, a boa constrictor, and a tarantula.
When Greg came back from a visit to Florida with two more, he couldn't keep
them and we were offered a choice between a ferret and a baby allegator.
 
    Knowing a little about one and nothing at all about the other, we chose
the first and this little sable joined our family and stole our hearts.  In
no time at all she had her own stash of property just like a person, and
had laid claim to two secure ferret sized 'bed rooms', each with its own
woolly hat that we had provided.  She was pretty much free to come and go
as she wished within the house, and occasionally went with the boys on
their various adventures.
 
    She got to meet and be held by many many people including our State
Representative Barbara Gray and as required in a FFZ was always the lady.
On one occasion she was chased in terror around a room at the Church by a
dozen shrieking Girl Scouts who wanted to hold her, never once even
considering a bite.
 
    Rocky had many adventures over the years.  One time we called a vet when
she fell walking down stairs.  Investigation revealed the remains of a party
in one son's room.  She had finished up the last of the 'Pearl Harbors' and
was thoroughly smashed.
 
    Then there was the time that Susie arrived as a teacher at a home
economics class and found that she was missing the key ingredient needed to
make Japanese gioza, her lesson of the day.  After much head scratching, we
found several days later that Rocky had appropriated both packages from
Susie's bag, and used the little pastas to wallpaper one wall and the
ceiling of a hidy hole that she was making under a set of wooden file
drawers.
 
    On another she found her way outside on a bitingly cold and sunny
December day, and was found nearly a quarter mile away by a lady who didn't
know us, but knew ferrets.  In October of the following year, she
disappeared again for what turned out to be four days.  It was rainy and
cold at three in the morning on the fifth day when we made one last attempt
before hanging it up and getting some sleep.  There she was in our garage,
inside a plastic bag of garbage waiting to go out and into which she'd dug a
hole to keep warm.  She had been eating the raspberries out by the railroad
which runs nearby.  Each fall thereafter they were always a special treat.
 
    As gracious and lady like as she was to us, Rocky could be tough when it
was called for.  Our cat had been abused by its first owner, and Midnight
had what can only be called a 'bad attitude'.  In fact she was a killer when
it came to beings weaker than herself, and quite regularly preyed on mice as
well as medium sized rabbits and squirrels.  These she brought to our
doorstep and consumed at her leisure, and to the disgust of many.
 
    Midnight weighed five pounds or more to Rock's one and a half pounds,
attacked her often at first, but was hardly able to lay a paw on her.  Rocky
would see an attack coming and would just get fire in her eyes.  Turning,
she'd run right at the surprised cat, pass beneath her in a moment of
hesitation, and then turn and bite the exposed tummy so hard it made my eyes
water.  The bully would completely lose it at that point, and it wasn't long
before Midnight was spending more and more time outside of her own choice.
 
    Later when our new kitten 'Jack' and baby ferret 'Squeekers' arrived,
Rocky was very much the drill sergeant to both of them for a while until
they became socialized and wise in the ways of the world.  Both were by far
the better for it and became fast friends.  Jack in particular owes his
mellow personality to Rocky's efforts.
 
    But I go on far too long.  Rocky is survived by Squeekers, Jack, Peaches
(aka 'babe ferret), and the four of us humans.  She leaves the old wine cork
(he has it anyway) and part of a bottle of Linatone to Squeekers, her best
friend.  Peaches gets her second best wool sleeping hat to remember her by
and the favorite tiger squeaky toy.  Jack gets to eat his food and not have
to share it anymore.  The rest of us have been blessed with many memories.
 
    Rocky is having a good time with her friend Norman with whom she went to
summer camp, but will be sorely missed by us all on this side of the Rainbow
Bridge.
[Posted in FML issue 1350]