Dearest Sandee,
 
I wonder if I could trouble you for an important favor.  On this past Feb
20th you met my PeeWee at the Bridge.  His very best friend, Gizmo, left
for the Rainbow Bridge this past Sunday.  I know the first thing he is
going to do is look for his buddy, PeeWee.  I know you are there to greet
all the ferrets and I hope you can make an exception for a very fine cat,
just this once.  You see, PeeWee and Gizmo were together from the time
PeeWee was just 6 weeks old.  Gizmo took it upon himself to be his Dad
and to watch out for him.  PeeWee preferred him to all the other ferrets
he had lived with.  Maybe that's because he spent the first year of his
life as an only ferret and during that time, bonded closely with Gizmo.
 
Both Gizmo and PeeWee were diagnosed with terminal medical problems on
the same day last November.  PeeWee had congestive heart failure and
Gizmo with cancer.  After that you rarely saw one without the other, as
if each knew the other required some extra peace and love.  There were
times I would see Gizmo curled up in a ball, sleeping.  If you looked
closely, you'd see a second brown tail peeking out from beneath his long
coat.  What warmer "quilt" could a ferret ask for?  After Pee left to
join you, Gizmo looked every day for his little buddy and he would sleep
in Pee's cage when he didn t find him.  It was like he was just waiting
for him.  Now his waiting is over
 
On May 18, 2003, Gizmo lost his battle to cancer, at a very dignified
nineteen years of age.  He had fought a long hard battle, and I often
think it was his love for our family (two and four footed) that kept him
on this plane for as long as he was.  There was never an animal that
crossed our threshold that Gizmo did not take care of, and I know he has
earned the right to be taken care of himself.  Before he became so ill,
he topped the scales at just over twenty pounds, but when he "tiptoed
through the fuzzies" you'd have thought him nearly as graceful as your
own earthly body surely was.  Please Sandee, Gizmo doesn't know anyone
there and I'm sure he will be so very lost.  If they could see each other
and spend a little time together I know Giz could go on happy.  And if
there are any ferrets that are in need of a bath or a warm place to
sleep, I'm sure Pee and Giz will be most accommodating.  Just think of
Giz as an overly large, excessively furry spotted ferret.  I'm sure if
you ask him, he'll even chatter for you.
 
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Diddy
[Posted in FML issue 4154]