Andi was a beautiful, exuberant chocolate girl, one of 10 kits in the
litter at Meg Carpenter's Chaotic Ferrets.  I was supposed to be getting
Cassiopeia, a small, demure (well not so demure) black sable.  But Andi
wanted to come too, and she was not to be denied.  So Andi and Cassie
came home with me in April 2001.
 
Andi knew no fear and no boundaries.  Meg said she was the first at
everything in her litter--first out of the nest box, first to make it up
to the hammock, etc.  She would take flying leaps off the furniture into
our arms, even if we were too far away to possibly catch her!  No baby
gate could hold her.  She was lean, muscular and agile.
 
She desperately wanted to be alpha in our house, but our deaf male
Buttons calmly told her NO!  She would dare to invade his private space
behind the bed, and he would promptly and firmly put her in her place,
but she was never cowed.  Since she couldn't dominate Buttons, she would
make life miserable for poor Cookie, even though Cookie was almost twice
Andi's size.
 
Andi was never much of a cuddler, she had too much to do to stop for
that.  Oh but she was a great kisser!  She would lick my lips raw if
given the chance.
 
In September, Andi started doing poorly.  Exploratory surgery showed an
inoperable tumor in her abdomen.  Biopsies were inconclusive, but I took
her home and put her on a high dose of pred, and she did well for a
while.  She never got back on kibble, but relished her chicken gravy and
would play a little from time to time.  Last Thursday she didn't seem to
be feeling well-she would go back to her cage and put herself to bed.
Friday evening she didn't want her dinner.
 
Saturday morning I found her dead and cold in the bottom of the cage.
Poor Cassie, my shrieking scared her.  It is hard to believe Andi is
gone, taken from me and her sister so soon.  Oh how I miss her.
 
Linda
[Posted in FML issue 4708]