8 months after being diagnosed with cancer, my buddy, Indy, crossed
over the Rainbow Bridge Friday morning, August 14. My heart is aching.

I came home from work at midnite Thursday nite and he was having
difficulty. I held him until 3AM touching and stroking him as if my
energy would keep him alive. Finally, at 3AM I wrapped him in a towel
and laid him in a tote next to my bed. I reluctantly said a finally
good night to my little friend knowing he would be gone when I woke
up .... and he was.

Indy came to me in April 2003. I was invited to a "pet expo" by the
Huntington Indiana Humane Society. Since my good friend, Rebecca
McFarland, lived in Fort Wayne, I packed up a few ferrets and spent
the weekend with Reb and we both spent the day in Huntington. The HS
had written they had a ferret for me if I wanted it. They planned on
bringing him to me at the end of the event because he didn't have his
shots. During the day, people had commented the HS had been advertising
this ferret in the paper and apparently no one had adopted him yet. I
thought that was curious.

The end of the event came and they brought this little sable ferret to
me. Rebecca was checking him over while I was loading up the car and
I remember her commenting, "Dee, I can't believe he's whole, he has
tattoos in his ears!!" When we looked at him closer, he was intact and
those tattoos were ticks. This little guy was loaded with ticks. I
couldn't believe a HS would have taken an animal in and not checks it
for fleas or ticks!!! We picked off what we could and zipped home to
Reb's where we wasted no time gaving him a bath and fixed him up a big
dish of her Duck Soup, The ticks were gone, he was clean and he had a
full tummy. I settled him inside a nice, clean carrier and we headed
home to Grand Rapids.

He was named Indy (for Indiana .... corny, I know, but I have a
tendency to do that with ferrets. Most of my DMK's are named after
cities in Ohio. At least I didn't name him Huntington. I could have
named him Quale after Dan Quale who lives in Huntington) and he began
his reign as Top Ferret. His first order of business was to go into
instant rut which was resolved by a quick trip to Dr. Mike to be
neutered by not descented.

Indy went everywhere with me. He loved people ......hated other
ferrets, but loved people. I took him to Reanee Gladden's one weekend
where other ferret friends and their ferrets were gathering for an
afternoon. Nice big playpen in the center of the room, all the other
ferrets were getting along nicely. I put Indy in and he went after
everybody and then unceremoniously POOFED. He literally cleared the
room.

Indy attended MSU's Vetavisit every year with me, except this year. He
proudly wore his Spartan Green harness and usually at the beginning of
the event he paraded himself on the floor for the kids who would circle
around him. Ferretone was like Love Potion #9 for my little guy ... a
hit of Ferretone and he was kissing all the kids. They loved it. He
loved it.

Indy had his own carrier, burgundy canvas with zipper closing. When
driving to an event, It was not unusual to hear someone say, "There's a
ferret loose!!!" If not secured properly, Indy could unzip the zipper.

I believe Indy gave the Maine Coon Cat I rescued a heart attack. He
would pick on her. One morning I heard a loud MEOW and ran to her room
where I found this 30 lb cat hanging from her front claws from the top
of her 5 ft high cat tower and Indy was doing his Top Of The World
impression gloating over his success. It wasn't long after that, I
found Beta (the cat's name) lying dead in front of my entertainment
center.

I rescued a young cocker spaniel, Copper. When he was kenneled, it
wasn't unusual to see Indy teasing the dog by digging kibble out of
Copper's bowl from the outside of his kennel and Copper growling. It
was crazy to watch. Copper found a new home.

Indy was my date for my class reunion 2 years ago. I set up a playpen
in my minivan with everything he needed for the 3 hour trip there. I
had his little tux outfit and he was even part of my class picture.

Indy has been immortalized by the State of Michigan Dept of Ag in their
Ferret Health Advisory Sheet.
<http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDA_FerretHealthAdvisorySheet_31881_7.pdf>

The torch has been passed to Diamond.

Rest in peace, my sweet little Indy. You were much loved and are much
missed.

Dee
West Michigan Ferret Connection

[Posted in FML 6427]