First I would like to send my condolences and most sincere sympathy to
all who have lost a furkid.
 
I had to wait to write this note about Bubbles crossing the bridge.  I
last posted about Bubbles when she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy this
past January.  She was put on enalapril and lasix.  In late February she
had a mast cell tumor removed.  She did very well with her medications
and with her surgery.  Bubbles was the last one of my original business
group.  She crossed just two and a half weeks short of her nineth
birthday.  Bubbles was given to me approximately eight years ago by a
wonderful person, Maureen.  Bubbles was an albino and was very aggressive
when I first got her.  She latched on to both myself and my son more than
once!  With lots of patience and loads of love, Bubbles became my very
bonded buddy.  Even moreso after Pepper was helped across the bridge last
November.  Bubbles had the run of our bedroom, except at night.  I put
her in her cage at night.  Since January I had been getting up anywhere
from twice to three times a night to give her duck soup and make sure she
was drinking plenty of water.  I never once begrudged the attention she
required at night, and hoped it would last for years!  She would climb
up in her hammock and rattle the cage door to let me know she wanted
attention! <smile>  Night time was our special time together.  I let her
have the run of the house while I heated her duck soup for her.  Then she
would sit on my lap and eat it up.  The past couple of weeks she had been
slowing down a bit.  I really hoped she would make it to her November 8th
birthday, but it wasn't to be.  I worried about her, because while I was
at work, she wouldn't eat on her own.  She did drink water, but waited
until I got home to eat.  Can you say spoiled???  I would feed her every
couple of hours until I put her in her cage for the evening.  Most nights
she could be found on my lap while I read or watched TV.  Curled up and
sleeping so peacefully in a soft receiving blanket.  This past Tuesday
when I got home from work, I found Bubbles had somehow gotten a thread of
a towel wrapped around her hind foot.  It was on there so tight.  I had
to cut the thread with a pair of scissors.  I don't know how long it had
been there, but do know she had dragged the towel around the leg of my
desk and then just laid down.  She had soiled herself a bit.  So I took
her into the bathroom, cleaned her up, dried her off, and wrapped her
snuggly into one of her blankets.  I massaged her foot to make sure to
get the circulation going well.  Other than swelling a little bit, the
foot seemed fine.  She ate and drank real well, and showed few effects
from what had happened.  I decided to keep her with me all evening.
Even when I went to bed, I let her lay next to me, so I would be right
there for her.  At about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning I abruptly woke
up.  Bubbles had just passed very peacefully in her sleep.  She was where
she knew she was safe, in my arms.  She was a very grand little lady.
Everyone who knew her loved her.  She was a favorite of my vets.  As she
aged she became a real lap ferret, and I loved this part of our life
together.  I buried her in a blue fabric cozy that came with her and that
she had used all her life.  I also included her favorite tennis balls
that she loved to roll and hide all over the bedroom.  I know Bubbles
has met up with the rest of the crew that proceeded her to the Bridge,
Sneezy, Pepper, Rascal, Rosey, Nosey, and Sophie.  She is in her element
letting them know the "boss" is back!  While I miss her so very much, I
am so full of happiness and joy in her memory and the time I had with
her.  I will forever remember her with love.
 
For the love of ferrets and the human hearts they hold,
Barbara Laugesen
With the boys, Calvin, Blake and Simon
[Posted in FML issue 4677]