This will be in two parts, since it's just too long and there's no way I
could write only a little about this wonderful guy. oxo
[I combined them into one. BIG]
******************************************
 
I hope everyone is doing well. I write this today with a heavy heart -
especially since today is three months to the day that we had to have
Buster put to sleep.
 
Friday night, after a week worth of illness, Nik passed away quietly and
peacefully at 9:30pm in the arms of his Auntie Judith.  He started having
diarrhea Friday night and by Saturday we had started him on duck soup.  By
Monday evening he was refusing food and water and we started to force feed
him.  The vet looked at him on Friday morning and concluded that his
kidneys were starting to shut down.  He was rehydrated and medicated then
Friday evening Paige and I took him home from the vet because I did not
want to take the chance of him dying alone at the vet's due to his poor
condition.  I'm so thankful that I at least went with my instincts on this
and he had the opportunity to die at home, surrounded by loved ones.  He
received tons of attention and well wishes and heard much laughter that
night from myself, Jasper (Daddio), as well as Auntie Paige & Judith.  I'm
also very glad that I had everyone over that night.  It eased my tension
and fears and Judith in particular has always had a special liking for
Nik - he had her wrapped around his paw from the first moment she met him!!
Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions, support and help - couldn't
have handled it this well without you all!
 
Nik was my second baby - I got him a few months after getting Gushi,
feeling that the Gush-meister needed a playmate.  Of course, Nik spent the
first while being a chew and dragging toy for Gushi, but it wasn't long
before we realized who really was boss of the household.  Just one month
ago, while my guys were staying at Judith's while Jasper and I were away
on holidays, it took maybe half a day before Nik took over the house and
claimed it as his!  I called him my Little Tyrant, while Judith preferred
Despot.  I think Buddy and Wills preferred Big Nasty Bully.
 
But the first thing we noticed with Nik was HE WAS LOUD!!  Gushi hardly
made a sound, whereas Nik sounded like a geigercounter, nik-nik-nik-nikking
everywhere he went.  Hence the name Nikki.  He also helped me experience my
first ferret scream!!  Oh yea.  He *was* in the bathroom, I swear, then
when I turned around I almost stepped on him.  SCREEEEEEEECH!!!  We both
stood there, hyperventilating and staring at each other - both thinking
"You just scared the h&ll out of me!!!" Of course, it being two in the
morning probably did not help my heart rate any!
 
We found out quickly that he LOOOOOOVED Cheerios.  He'd eat a whole bowl by
himself (and tried to a few times) if we would have let him!  Actually,
inhale is probably the more appropriate way to describe the way he scarfed
'em down!  I'm certain he's getting as many Cheerios as his little tummy
can hold over Rainbow Bridge!
 
The little bugger was darned smart too!  He could figure out how to get
into/onto almost anything.  He would literally walk around the situation,
stopping to survey it from all the different angles, trying to see which
way would be the best to tackle the problem at hand.  You could just hear
the gears in his head spinning away.  If it didn't work at all on the first
attempt, it was rare that he'd bother with that idea again.  If it *almost*
worked, determination was his middle name, but not to the point of
embarrassment.  'Heck with that, let's try *this*!' I found I often saw im
figuring out the problem while Buster sat close by and watched the Master
at work and would soon imitate Nik's successes.  Jasper commented that the
Terrible Twosome are now back together and things will never be the same
with this tag-team on the loose, high-fiving each other with each
successful mission accomplished!
 
 
He also knew *exactly* what he could and could not get away with.  Nik knew
he was allowed on the couch but not on the coffee table.  He knew if he was
caught on the coffee table this would mean the water bottle would be
employed by Nasty Mom on his tummy.  He also knew that if he got down or
back over to the couch before I got my hands on him, that I wouldn't
discipline him.  I thought it would confuse him to give him heck after the
fact.  Sooooooooooo, taking all of this into careful consideration, Nik
would wait until the last minute to jump from the table back to the couch
when I caught him in the act.  The funniest thing about it, he would war
dance all over the couch, as much to say "Nyah, nyah - ya didn't catch me!!
Tee hee hee!" Of course, I could never be mad at him, even though he was
making fun of me being too slow and these episodes usually ended in me
tickling him into a frenzy.  Brat - but beloved brat.
 
Stubborn as with most ferrets was a big thing with Nik.  He would 'argue'
with me all the time as to what was his, where he thought he should be
allowed to go, etc.  The one thing that shocked me and made me feel very
proud but sad in the end, even though he was having trouble moving around
on his own, he still made very valiantly efforts to get himself over to the
newspaper to do his business.  I had to help him with standing due his
weakened condition, but make no mistake, he was there because he *had* to
be and he wasn't going to be embarrassed or slowed down by anything.
 
I'll miss him dearly.  We buried him that night up at Todmorden Hills.  We
wrapped him in an old t-shirt of mine that had a shark on it.  He was
definitely a carpet shark, especially adept at geting up your pant leg,
pulling down your sock and licking your ankle just before nipping.  I
figure it was his way of letting you know who was the boss - like an
initiation rite into his household.  We also put his favourite chew toy in
the basket with him.  It was unfortunately a little rushed being late at
night and we were totally unprepared.  I'm planning on going back this
weekend and planting some bulbs that will hopefully come up wonderfully
next spring and on Jasper's suggestion, I'm going to make something to hang
in the tree above him.  That will need some careful consideration.
 
Thank you again to everyone who helped out and bolstered us through this
harrowing week.  I beat myself up alot this week, feeling I didn't do
enough or soon enough.  But I was repeatedly reminded that Nik knew I loved
him dearly and he loved me.  Thanks guys.  Everyone take care and hug your
little ones extra today!  oxoxo
 
George, Jasper and the Two Geez
 - missing Buster and Nik
 
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Georgette Peters                          Nothing is ferret-proof to a
Steacie Science Library                   sufficiently talented ferret.
York University
4700 Keele Street                                     *****
North York, Ontario                                 *********
M3J 1P3                                               *****
(416)736-5084
                                             Dook, dook, bjork, bjork!
e-mail - [log in to unmask]                        - Swedish Ferret
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2431]