FML,
 
We recently lost our beloved baby Grumpy.  We just wanted to create a
documentary for him and Kristi also.
 
MY LIFE STORY BY GRUMPY SCHRIER         11:10PM  9/16/96
 
My life started about 5 yrs ago in Manhattan, Kansas.  A couple came in and
adopted me from a pet store.  They loved me and paid me alot of attention at
first .  .  .  then, they built a wooden box for me with a small plexy glass
window in it, very little ventilation, my bedding was of cedar chips, and my
diet consisted of generic dog food.  There I lived for two yrs.  Then they
were getting ready to move and decided I wasn't going with them.  The couple
was getting ready to sell me to a company as a 'lab rat' because they needed
the money.
 
About this time, another couple heard about me.  They came over to visit me,
and I decided that I would give them a chance, and I just might adopt them.
After arriving at my new home, I discovered that I also had 2 brothers, and
a sister.  My brother was a 4 month old sable ferret named Buster.  My
sister was only a 3 month old sable ferret named Kristi.  My other brother,
to my surprise, was a 2 month old cat named Tabby.  Boy, I never had any
socializing before, so I didn't know what to think.  Once we got to know
each other, we had so much fun laughing, playing, and dancing about.  We
were provided blankets instead of cedar chips and ate Iams instead of dog
food.  They also allowed us to have free roam of 'our' house, except for
occasion when they made us stay in our room at bedtime.
 
I came to love my new home so much, that I enjoyed it there and didn't want
to leave.  My little brother and sister (Buster & Kristi) decided that they
would like to venture outdoors.  They had found a hole that our parents
didn't know about and off they went.  Well, . . .  I thought I'd better
alert my parents, so I did, in the only way I knew how.  I paced back and
forth right in front of the hole.  I thought they might get the picture
better this way!  Well, soon enough they saw me and couldn't believe I
didn't want to 'go play'!!!  They realized my brother and sister ventured
out.  So immediately, mom and dad took the raisin treats outside and there
came my brother and sister running for the treats.  Mom and dad were happy
to have them back safely.  I didn't mean to tattle, but, I missed them.
 
Time went by, and my parents decided to take us to see some friends.  We
went to see some ferrets that adopted a lady named Troy Lynn.  Many ferrets
adopted her.  Boy, they must love her.  My brother and sister took off to
play with all the others.  I, on the other hand, didn't know what to think.
Mom and dad tried to let me down.  But, OH NO, I'm not going anywhere.  I
stayed right there in mom and dad's lap.  My brother and sister were having
loads of fun.  That was quite an experience.
 
A couple of years went by.  My sister seemed to be getting sick.  My parents
took her to the family doctor.  The family doctor, and friends prescribed
some medicine and lots of love.  She had something called lymph node
problems and we later found out a brain tumor.  My parents, siblings, and
mymyself did all we could to give her everything she needed (i.e. medicine,
love, and lots of cuddling).  she seemed to be getting better for awhile.
But, it soon became too much for her to handle.  My brother and I were heart
broken to see her go.  We were always standing up for her and taking care of
our little sis.
 
Time went on.  We were still very lonely, but, we had to go on.  We decided
to see a little bit of the world and moved to Germany.  We lived there for
about 2-3 months when my spleen became too much to handle.  It was getting
larger.  My parents took me to the new family doctor because I was feeling
very ill.  The doctor decided that it was important to go inside and see
what the problem was.  He performed surgery and found out my spleen had
grown to be 1/10th of my overall body weight.  So, he took it out today in
hopes that I would feel better.  My parents came to pick me up wanting to
give me their love, the doc said it was O.K.  just to take it easy and relax
and see me in the morning.  When we arrived home (at 4pm), my parents set up
a special bed for me and kept me near them.  I was resting peacefully off
and on throughout the evening.  I'm not sure when the pain started.  But (at
about 9pm) I couldn't take the pain anymore and started to cry to let my
parents know.  My mom and dad knew I was in pain and called the vet.  My mom
was on the phone trying to get an emergency with the doc, and my dad was
trying to calm me.  At 9:35pm I couldn't take it anymore and it was time to
join my sister.  Mom and dad tried to revive me.  But, I needed to be with
my sister now where she would no longer be alone.  We are both at peace now.
 
Good bye to all that loved me.  Take care brother.  I had a good life, but
will now be in eternal peace.
 
                        Love,
                        Grumpy Schrier
[Posted in FML issue 1696]