Dear Bridge-greeters,

Please watch out for Lil Bit to be coming across the Bridge looking for
Jack, her very good Friend who recently came to the bridge, passing
because of his age. Lil Bit however was a healthy and fairly young girl
who came to our rescue as a baby and only got to see about 5 years of
life. She was so young when she came to live with us that I used to let
her sleep with me during her quarantine period and until she was old
enough to be with the "big" kids of the group. Their area to play in is
an older camper trailer that also holds their Ferret Nation cages. A
few rambunctious youngsters around here thought it might be fun to dig
a hole in the floor where it met the wall and behind the cages where
their work would go un-noticed until finished. Unfortunately, during a
large, whole shelter play time Lil Bit and a few others were able to go
outside of their otherwise safe and easily climate controlled play area
into the great wide world with all it's exciting places to visit and
unforeseen dangers that abound in the world outside. We were unable to
find her and bring her back home during the night because she couldn't
hear the squeaky ball or the rattle of the TF treats she loved so much
because she was deaf. She was badly injured from what we think were
the jaws of a stray dog! She some-how managed to escape from the animal
that was trying to kill her and make it back to her home. When found,
she was muddy and bleeding, trying her best to get back inside to
"daddy" who she knew could make it all better but this time I couldn't
make it all better. I rinsed off the mud and the blood in warm water
so I could see her injuries and it was bad. She died in my arms that
morning as I wept for her, telling her to just hang on and lying to her
saying that it was going to be alright. I knew that it wasn't going to
be alright, she was bleeding from her nose and mouth and at that rate
I knew she could never make it to the only and closest vet that could
possibly save her who is around 2 hours away. I really didn't think
saving her was possible even if we were already at the doctor's office
because she'd lost so much blood. Unfortunately I was right and she
died in my arms a short 30 minutes later. I've checked every edge where
walls meet floor and every nook and cranny and fixed everything that
seemed even slightly weak. In 7 years of using that camper as a ferret
room nothing like this has ever happened before.

Lil Bit was the sweetest little girl ferret you'd ever get to meet!
She was bought as a gift for someone who didn't want her and was
relinquished to us at only 5-6 weeks old! She was so tiny and cute that
I let her sleep in the bed and I even put a small bowlful of kibble
down in the corner of the bed next to my pillow so she wouldn't have to
go far for a snack. If her supply ever ran out she learned to scratch
my elbow until I woke up and got her some more. Even as an adult she
remembered how to get another treat when she was done with the last
one by using the elbow scratch trick. She dearly loved Totally Ferret
treats, FerretVite, FerreTone and my home made chicken 'N' gravy baby
food.

Lil Bit is dearly missed by me and all 26 ferret friends she made here
at the rescue. Please help her find Jack who recently crossed the
bridge into Ferret Heaven.

Thank You,
Micheal Forrest,
Ferret Rescue and Adoption of South Texas
www.ferretrescueandadoption.com

[Posted in FML 7012]