To Steve Tietze:
 
I'm SO sorry to hear about Bear.  It is awful to lose
a member of your family, and not matter what anyone
says, Bear was a member of your family.  Give Smokey
lots of hugs from all of us, and let him know how much
you love him too.  He must be very confused and upset
to lose his buddy so suddenly.
 
I  know how upset Jeff & I were earlier this year when
we thought we were going to lose Bandit, and it was the
most awful feeling in the world.  You must be feeling
terrible.  Please let us know how you are doing.  We care!
 
I hope you've double-checked everything so Smokey doesn't
get into a similar predicament.  But please don't feel
like it's your fault.  Ferrets are so small & agile, they
get into all sorts of places we can't imagine them getting
into.  It's not always easy to ferret-proof our homes,
but we have to keep at it.
 
By all means, get Smokey another companion -- he will appreciate
it, I'm sure.  But don't rush into it before you feel ready.
 
I hope you are feeling a little better soon.  Hang in there!
 
Katie, Jeff, Bandit, Molly, Charlie & Pogo
 
[Posted in FML issue 0305]