Bridgett, our senior ferret, passed away on May 11.  She was 8 years old.
FML old-timers may remember her as one of our original group of 5 ferrets:
Ben, Jerry, Buttercup, Bridgett, and Jasmine.  All are now at the Rainbow
Bridge.
 
You can see pictures of Bridgett at these URLs:
 
 http://furo.astro.umd.edu/ferrets/bridgett/
 http://furo.astro.umd.edu/images/bridgettAndBill/
 
Bridgett arrived at our home in April, 1995.  She was a fearful,
malnourished, completely unsocialized young adult ferret.  We rescued her
from a life imprisoned in a cat carrier in someone's basement; she didn't
even have a name.  Bridgett didn't know how to play; a dangle toy waved
near her would only elicit a stare.  She reacted to human hands by biting
hard.
 
Socializing Bridgett was a challenge, but we soon saw progress.  After
about a week, Bill was no longer bleeding every day.  On her first vet
trip, Bridgett bit Dr. DiMaria, but by her second visit she only nipped
the sleeve of her lab coat.  Seeing Bridgett's spirit blossom was
heartwarming.  She learned to play, and she learned to trust us enough
to stop biting us.  Her relationship with Ben, Jerry, and Buttercup was
another story.  Because she was full-grown and didn't know how to interact
with other ferrets, they rejected her violently, forcing us to keep
Bridgett in a separate cage for months.  Finally, we decided to get a
ferret kit, Jasmine, to be a friend for Bridgett.  The presence of a kit
mellowed our other ferrets, enabling them finally, after 7 months, to
accept Bridgett (well, mostly).  There was always some tension between
Buttercup and Bridgett, although they got along well enough to live
together.
 
Bridgett's favorite things in life were playing with miniature tennis
balls, eating Sheppard & Greene peanut butter treats, exploring the
hallways near Bill's office, and sleeping in polar fleece pouches.  Like
most rescued animals, she loved to eat and would try almost anything---
even dog biscuits.  Despite her early difficulties with her own species,
she loved curling up with other ferrets.
 
For most of her life, Bridgett battled adrenal disease.  She had adrenal
surgery at age 2 and age 5.  When symptoms recurred after the second
surgery, they were controlled for some time with Casodex.  Two years ago,
she stopped eating on her own and was faithfully given a bowl of warm
soup 3 or 4 times a day ever since.  She survived ECE at age 7.  During
the last year or so, she looked so old that we nicknamed her "Granny."
Although she was losing her hair and slowing down, she still ate her soup
eagerly and navigated the ramps and connecting tube of her cage complex
until a few days before she died.  At the end, her kidneys and bone marrow
went into a downward spiral.
 
Losing a chronically ill ferret is hard; so much of the daily routine
revolved around taking care of her.  We keep thinking it's time to get
her food ready or measure out her medicines.
 
Goodbye, Granny.  We're happy that we gave you the chance to be a playful
ferret.
 
Clare and Bill Sebok
 
Bonnie, Charlie, and Lucy (ferrets),
Patrick (Sheltie), and Felix (diabetic cat)
 
In loving memory of our first generation of companions:
Ben, Jerry, Buttercup, Bridgett, Jasmine (ferrets) and Lupi (dog)
[Posted in FML issue 3785]