The Hun was one of my gruesome, gleesome three-some which was Sweet Hart
another Canadian now gone, and Sparky, a very late neutered hob.  These
three played games with all the other ferrets and were not above messing
with their minds.  I am positive they drove several of my girls crazy.
Favorite game was grab the jill by the back of her neck and give a quick
shake.  Rapidly get out of her way when she goes off like a bomb.  Jump
gleefully around her while she tries to get close enough to kill.  Do it
again and really get her mad.  Make sure she lets of scent gland and is
really bummed.  Find another jill and do it again.  The girls were
constantly bringing me complaints which meant I had to pick up a now stinky
jill and comfort her.  Usually this game was played when I was ready to
leave the house and thus my clothes would smell of Eau de Phew.  Sigh.  And
I think he was deaf.  Either he was or he had stoic ability to ignore me
when he was being naughty.  He never responded to my shouts of "No, no Honey
Bun, you'll break it!!" Or other such commands.  I would get so annoyed with
him, I would stick him in with one of the whole hobs until he chilled out.
All of my unholy whole hobs enjoyed his company.  God how I wish he was here
to annoy me now.  My sweet bad boy.
 
He loved me and this was demonstrated my lots of licking followed by a nice
chomp.  Hobs do this when they feel affectionate.  He loved to have his
tummy scratched and was a poultry and meat eating ferret along with the
Totally Ferret and other kibble .He usually got more than his share because
he was so fast at snatching from the other ferrets.  Don't think he chewed
his meat - just bolted it to get more.  He liked to sleep on my head.
Actually, he liked to wrap his paws in my hair and sleep around my head.
Sparky likes to do this too, so many nights my head was pretty crowded!  He
liked to have his belly scratched and to be scratched around his neck and
ears.  He would shut his eyes in bliss.  Memories flood me - kissing his
nose, tossing him in the sheets when making the bed, the feel of his big
firm body, his squirming and pushing at me when I clipped his nails, so many
things.
 
I have so many memories of The Hun that it would take a book to write all of
his antics.  As he got older, he turned himself into a white ferret.  He
also put a lot of white in my hair.  How I wish he was here with me now,
doing his favorite number to get my attention by standing on the keys or
popping over the screen of my computer causing it to slam shut on my
fingers.  My naughty boy.  My sweet bad Bunny, The Hun.
 
Tiger Lilly stayed in the hospital cage for over 24 hours when he was in it,
choosing to stay with him even though the top was open.  She curled around
him to keep him warm.  Sparky also stayed with him and would not eat for
several days after he left.  His best pals still mourn him and I wish I
could explain to them what happened.  Ferrets do grieve.
 
I cannot carry him on my shoulder again, but I will carry him in my heart
forever; and truly he will never be gone from me because he will live on in
my memory.  He rests now with others who have gone before him, and I hope
his spirit plays beyond the rainbow bridge with his good buddies who awaited
him there.  Very soon I will plant a rosebush on his grave.  He liked to eat
roses too.  My sweet bad boy.
 
Meg
 
Postscript: This is the second death this year from anaphylaxis after
receiving Isoflurane.  Both ferrets who were lost had donated blood many
times and so had this gas a number of times.  The other ferret lost was only
two..  My ferrets will continue to donate blood.  Reactions to Isoflurane
are very, very rare.  However, if anyone observes that a ferret takes time
coming around from the anesthesia or is very sleepy afterwards - would be
careful.  This is probably what you might note when they are becoming
sensitized.  Most vets administer oxygen to help the ferrets clear the gas
from their lungs, thus they should perk up pretty soon.  IMHO, Isoflurane is
an extremely safe anesthetic - but any medication has the potential to cause
an allergic reaction.  Honey Bun's reaction was classic with collapse, rapid
build-up of fluid in the lungs causing difficulty in breathing, and delayed
reaction of bloody diarrhea and nausea.
[Posted in FML issue 2271]