Dear FML: I was simply overwhelmed by so many notes and letters of sympathy
on loss of Sweet Hart, that were waiting in my mail box.  This is the first
day I have returned to the computer since I wrote his story - and still had
not cried for the loss of this so very special ferret friend.  However, as I
read and read, I finally started getting a bit teary.  And then a letter
from Roxanne, sharing her story of her life and loss of her ferret, Hobbs,
and finally I cried.  I wept for Hobbs and all the ferrets lost.  And I wept
for my Sweet Hart.  Thank you very much FML.  And thank you especially,
Roxanne, for sharing your tribute to Hobbs with me.  Gad, how we ferret
people love our fuzzies.  NFP (non-ferret people) simply cannot understand
the connection that we have with each other.
 
And in death there is also Life.
 
I would like to announce the birth of a very special litter and request your
prayers.
 
On Monday, 3/ll and Tuesday, 3/12 - Just One More "Jussy" gave birth to
eight kits.
 
This was Jussy's third litter, and I consider it a small miracle and a big
blessing..  Her first litter was slightly premature and her milk did not
come in.  Five of us around this area lost litters that terrible weekend for
the same reason - failure of the jill to produce milk.  Jussy's second
litter was stillborn, with one malformation.  With her biological clock
ticking, a decision to try again was hard.  This would be her last litter
and last chance.  Jussy has a very, very strong mothering instinct and I
wanted her to have a chance, but during the protracted labor, I had time to
rue the decision.
 
She was one day overdue.  The first kit was breech and I helped her deliver.
The kit bled at the umbilicus and I did not expect it to survive.  Jussy
kept her going and she nursed over the next nine hours with no further
labor.  Dr. Jean Wardell, a great vet and friend, was in contact.  Nearing
midnight, we had a game plan, which included C-section the following day
(Tuesday).  Sometime after mid-night, Jussy went back into labor.  Over the
next 6 or 7 hours, I helped her deliver seven more kits.  As of this
writing, they are all surviving..
 
Jussy is still feeling the effects of a hard labor.  Please pray for her and
her babies.  Also, today, Jussy accepted two kits to foster from Pat Ball's
Princess of Treasured Ferrets.  Princess is the mother of Kaitlyn, one of my
black sables, who is due herself on April 6th.  We hope so very much that
these wee ones from Princess will survive as well.  (Jussy is a black sable
and was bred to a black sable).
 
After the last kit was delivered, Jussy said "If that Black Bart ever comes
near me again, they will be calling him Black Bart Bobbitt".  My regards to
all.  Meg
[Posted in FML issue 1508]