Eulogy for Kooto
 
Kooto left for the Rainbow Bridge at 1:00 AM on St.  Patrick's Day.  I
met him through his mom Melissa in the Spring of 2000.  She was a fellow
participant in the New Jersey Renaissance Fair, and was still a college
student.  Kooto spent the summer boarding at my house because Melissa
could not bring him to her parents' house.  They did not like ferrets.
 
He spent the summer visiting several times a week with his Momma, and
learning the joy of playing with other ferrets.  He was housed with
Modesty, Truffle, and an elderly rescue ferret named Ginger who was
almost completely bald from poor nutrition.  He also learned his manners
from Modesty; she taught him not to nip so hard.  We referred to them as
the Three Stooges, and the Hairless One.  Kooto of course, was Curly.  I
enjoyed having him with us; but he would NEVER kiss any of us--we were
"Not the Momma!"  I loved him even more for his loyalty to his mom.
 
He spent much of the fall semester of 2000 with us because Melissa's new
roommate didn't like ferrets either.  Then he moved with Melissa to Maine
and picked up a new playmate.  Daizy and he loved to play together, and
he finally had a full time playmate.  Later, when Melissa moved back to
New Jersey in 2001, another female named Sasha was added to the mix.  He
and his family always loved coming to my house to play with my gang, and
to say hello to his foster Mom.
 
He was a sweet and handsome boy.  He won best in show in the LOSPA Fall
2001 ferret show.  It was his first ever show.  He was very protective of
his Momma, and conscientiously bit every male that she showed interest
in.  He wanted to make sure the guy understood that he was her protector.
 
In late fall of 2003, he lost a lot of weight and didn't want to eat.
Melissa took him to a vet, and she got medicine that helped his tummy.
She also started him on raw meat, which he really liked.  He put a little
weight back on, but not to his normal weight.  I suggested that she start
feeding him Duck soup to help him gain energy.  He gobbled that down, and
ate kibble like a pig, but still didn't put on weight.  The soup did give
him energy to play.  On March 16th, he started having trouble breathing,
and had to lift his upper body up to catch his breath.  He also stopped
wanting to eat.  Melissa took him to the emergency vet, but he passed on
before anything could be done.  We don't know exactly what killed him,
but I strongly suspect it was some form of cancer.
 
Kooto is now at Rainbow Bridge.  He joins his harem up there formed by
the females that he befriended while he was at my house; Sweetie, Ginger,
and Truffle.
 
Melodyt and the elven eight
Part-time Foster Mom to Kooto
[Posted in FML issue 4467]