About 4 years ago this horrible looking ferret came to us from a shelter.
We were all afraid to touch him because he "looked" mean.  He was an
albino male who was missing part of his ear and had a healed broken
tale.  He was used as a breeder ferret before the shelter rescued him and
others.  He was not fixed and was very yellow.
 
He went to the vet and had a check up.  for 8 years old he was doing
pretty good.  He came into rut the next spring.  We were not going to get
him fixed but decided to because he had to be separate from our other
kids due to his hormones and that made him depressed.  So at almost 9
years old he was fixed.  Flew through surgery with no problem.
 
Bugz lives with 4 other cagemates.  One of them, Princess Pepper, is his
daughter.  Everyone loves him.  They play with him and they sleep with
him.
 
When he was about 10 years old he had to get an x-ray done because we
thought he had a hairball.  The x-ray showed that he did but it was
passing through his system with no problem.  But it also showed an
enlarged heart.  Cardiomyopathy.  He was put on medication and told to
take it easy.  YEAH RIGHT!
 
Bugz continued to play and play.  He would wear out faster than the
others but he never complained.  You could see him zipping across the
kitchen chasing Kuri or trying to run from big ole' fat Dodge.  He knew
right where the treats are and would give you the sad eyes that made you
give him some.
 
At 11 years old his teeth got infected and needed to be pulled.  After
talking with the vet and the risk of the surgery we decided that he had
to have it done because he couldn't eat and was in pain.  Shawn was there
in the room with them when they did the surgery, so that if he passed, he
was not alone.  But Bugz sailed right through surgery.  He woke up right
after she pulled the last tooth (3 total pulled).  Bugz recovered just
fine.
 
In the last several months he has been getting worse.  Going in circles
one night and wouldn't stop.  Scared me to death.  It was either a clot
or a stroke.  either way it was scary.  He falls over a lot and his eye
sight is going.  But his nose works just fine to find the soup and the
treats.  We even set up a sick cage that he can go into instead of the
big cage if he wants.  Wherever he is, you will always find someone
sleeping with him.
 
Bugz is a wonderful old man.  He doesn't get into anything and doesn't
want to climb or be "up" on things.  He isn't a snuggler but will let
others hold him.  Here is an example: We had taken 8 ferrets in to the
vet for shots, Bugz was one of them.  While we were out front paying
people were asking about the ferrets.  This one old man was sitting
there.  He had only one leg and you could tell he had been through a lot
in his life..  He wanted to hold one.  Shawn gave him Bugz.  Bugz laid
their in this mans lap just as happy as can be.  The man continued to pet
him while we were finishing up.  We went to walk out the door.  and the
old man goes "umm, don't you want him?".  Bugz was there on his lap
asleep.  We had almost forgotten him because he was being so good.
 
September 5, 2004 Bugz will be 12 years old.  That he has made it this
far is amazing.  He has a lot of spunk in him and seems to still have
some left.  I haven't figured out how he gets up everyday and does it.
I just know he does.  We have been blessed to have had him for as long
as we have and we will continue to be bless even after he is gone.
 
Thank you for letting me share his story.
 
Joanne Ruffner and Shawn McBride
Ferret Corner Shelter
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUGZ
[Posted in FML issue 4625]