It is with ties in my eyes and a lump in my throat that I say our rescued
boy Raskil was helped over to the Rainbow Bridge today.
 
Raskil was my special boy; he was only with us a short time 3 days short
of 6 months.  I don t know what kind of life Raskil had before he came to
us or should I say we came to him.  I only know what it was like when we
went to his old home to pick him up.  This all started back in January of
this year.  We received a call from a friend they new some one that had
a ferret and did not want it any longer and would we give the ferret a
home.  At that time we already had a number of babies but we said yes we
will give him a home.
 
The day came we were to travel to pick him up we received a phone call
telling us the wife of the guy giving up the ferret did not to give it up
and had cried to keep him.  That was fine we felt she must care about it
then.  About two months later we get another call asking if we would
still give Raskil a home that the lady had passed away and the guy that
had Raskil needed to find a home for the ferret and we were told 7 birds.
But if we wanted Raskil we had to take the birds to.
 
Well we know nothing about birds but I know people that did so off we go
about an hour away to pick up Raskil.  It turned out there was 11 birds
not 7, the home was gross is all I can say.  The bird cages had black
water and had worms in the cages.  They had not been cleaned in a long
long time.  We agreed to take the birds.  We then went to see Raskil.  In
a dark hall way squeezed between a wash machine and a dryer was a small
cage this cage had no where I mean no where that did not have poppies in
it for water they had a cup with black water in it food was cozy cat
dollar store cat food.  The guy reached in and grabbed Raskil and held
him up as if to show off a trophy.
 
Raskil was a Dark Sable male with a bald tail, he was blind and skin and
bones.  Lydia my wife took Raskil from the guy; Raskil never went back in
to that cage I told the guy he could keep the cage.
 
Well here we go home with 11 bird cages in the back of my truck 11 birds
in the back seat of the truck 1 ferret, a wife and my self in the front.
Well to make a long story short.  I cleaned all the bird cages and we
found homes for all of the birds.  Raskil went to the vet and other than
being blind and malnourished was in good shape it was thought he was 8-9
years old.  That was March 8th.  Raskil soon had health problems one
thing after another.  He had an intestinal infection followed by a
urinary track infection followed by adrenal surgery but it turned out not
to be adrenal.  He was diagnosed with Lymphoma.  That was about 2 months
ago Raskil was put on meds to ease the discomfort of the Lymphoma.  Even
with Raskils health problems he did good on healthy food, Duck soup and
other supplements  We did all we could to make him happy and we feel he
was, he never had to be in a dirty cage again I would clean it 2-3 times
a day so he would never have to sleep or step in poopies again.  He would
try to hit the litter pan and did well but some time would miss.  But
that was ok.
 
Raskil was my baby boy he could hear my voice and would stand on the door
to get out with me.  I did and do love him.  I felt we would have more
time together.  Till 3 days ago he started going down hill fast I knew
the end was here.  I prayed for god to take him fast so I would not have
to help him cross but that was not to be.  Yesterday I took Raskil out
side to play in the grass he did not play but did lay in the grass and
walked around in the yard if he started to get to far away from me I
would whistle and he would turn and come back to me.  Raskil and I stayed
out side for over an hour.  He fell to sleep in my arms as he had many
times in the past.  I talked to Raskil and to god and came to terms with
the fact I would help him cross.  Why?  simple I loved him and his body
was done but not his spirit that will never die.
 
Today at 1:18pm Raskil left me for the bridge to a place where he will
never cry in pain from the Lymphoma again.  In the passing of Raskil I
found wisdom I found in life there is hope.  I found the wisdom in
knowing when it is time to say good by and now I am learning how to
deal with this hurt
 
Raskil you took a large part of my heart with you, but that is ok you
keep it and give it back when the day comes for us to be together again.
I will miss you sleeping in my arms I will miss at the end of the day
when I come home from work and you greeting me, I will miss the sweet
smell of your fur on my face, I will miss your grunts as you eat your
duck soup.  But most of all I will miss you.  Run and play my boy but
know you are loved.
 
Glen Barton
[Posted in FML issue 4262]