It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write this.  As Jasper put it,
last night we came to the end of a generation with Geisha.  At about 11pm,
I went up to check on her and the younguns again and she did not look good.
She had a look in her eye that set alarm bells off in me.  She was almost
seven and about two months ago my vet had diagnosed her with kidney
problems.  I had been supplementing her diet with duck soup for several
months and with this recent discovery had changed her diet, adding KD
canned cat food - especially made for pets with kidney problems and easier
to digest proteins, etc.
 
When I first started with the duck soup, she ate it readily on her own.  I
then found it better to hand feed her off of my finger because that way she
ate more.  Geisha had started to lose weight awhile back, which at first we
put to getting geriatric and possibly having adrenal problems.  She was too
delicate to do such major invasive surgery so we avoided it.  Blood/urine
tests showed that it wasn't adrenal but kidney.  I realized that it was
slowly getting harder and harder to get her to eat.  When I finally pulled
out the syringe to do force feedings, I knew we were on mega-borrowed time.
This was a ferret who *loved* to eat!!!  We have a photo I took of her at
bedtime about a year and a half ago.  Geisha was eating out of the bowl
when we were getting ready to tuck the kids into their cage for the night.
He picked both her and the bowl up and without a blink, she continued to
chow down!
 
Geisha came to me through some other workers at the university where I work
as a library assistant.  At that time, I lived only a few blocks from work
and everyone knew I had three ferrets (Da Boyz).  Well, one Sunday night,
student security came into the library.  Gordon walked in with his partner
Petra and said, "I think we have a friend of yours." Out of Petra's jacket
they pull this *skinny*, stinky, dirty ferret.  They had found her
wandering outside of the apartment building I lived in.  Now, I lived on
the third floor and it was definitely possible that one of my guys could
have snuck out the door without me seeing them and make it down a couple of
flights of stairs.  However .... I took on look at her and said, "Well, it
ain't one of mine.  One, this poor thing is in *terrible* shape and two,
it's a GIRL!" I called David (boyfriend who also lived near-by) and he
brought his cat carrier and a couple of plastic bowls and some cat food.
This pathetic little thing just about vaccuumed up the food and water!
 
I made up some quickie posters that night to post around.  Obviously,
*someone* must be just dying of worry over this cute little thing.
However, when we got her back to my place and isolated from the boys, we
found out a few things.  At this point she had made no effort to bite or
anything - probably in abit of shock - however, I was looking closer at her
while David was holding her and she lashed out and bit my chin.  It smarted
alright, however, I was surprised to find no blood.  Then she hissed and I
just about freaked!  I popped open her mouth (no easy task!) and saw what I
had thought I saw - all her canines were broken/worn down.  Her teeth were
a horrid sight!  Her ears were also black with gunk - she had ear mites AND
nits!  Which I found out was extremely rare with indoor pets.  Soooooooo ...
no posters were put up.  We figured that the previous 'owners' (I have
better names for these low-lifes that I won't use here), first had no
patience teaching her not to nip, so they broke her teeth with needlenose
pliers.  I did volunteer work in the Humane Society back home when I was a
teen and some of the stuff we came across just sickened and infuriated me.
They fed her crap food when they did feed her and also had some other
indoor/outdoor pet that she came into contact with that they didn't take
proper care of either.  They just threw her out the door the first warm
weekend of March and left her to fend for herself.  Luckily, someone sent
her to us.
 
(continued ....) [combined]
 
So, we treated all the nasties, she ate like a pig and her coat filled in
and became soft and fluffy.  Geisha soon became fat and sassy.  Got her
name from that walk of hers.  Right from the beginning, even before the
filling out, she had quite the sway to her little hips, like she was trying
to seduce those new found boys.  So she became the Geisha girl.  AKA -
Waddlebuns, Hussie, Pudge Bunny, Chickie Babe.  That sway worked right away
on Buster, I tell you!  Nik and Gushi went through the usual fifth degree
of domination with her (all after the ear-mites and such were dealt with of
course), but Buster was twitterpated.  He tackled her and such, but much
more gently than he did with his brothers - always played nicer with her.
Oooooooooooooooh - a girl!!!!  He cleaned her ears, snuffled her head to
toe and wanted to sleep with her any chance he got.  It was love at first
sight.  She followed him everywhere - which she had done with me at first
when they were having separate run times - it was like she was making sure
I wasn't leaving her behind.  Once she realized her power over me, her
attentions turned to Buster.  I felt a little snubbed but took it in
stride! ;->
 
Ironically, she was NOT afraid of the big outdoors even after all the crap
that happened to her.  We used to joke that it was because she figured that
maybe if she wandered around enough, she'd find some place even better than
my place and the people there would spoil and feed her even more!!
 
Not afraid of much at all.  We (Jasper and I) went to an event here in
Toronto called Paws in the Park.  Geisha was inside of Jasper's jacket
when we came across a gentleman with a beautiful Irish Wolfhound.  They're
BIG!  I asked the gentleman if I could pet his dog and he said no problem.
Meanwhile, Geisha was leaning as far as she could out of Jasper's jacket to
get a gander at this dog who's nose was as big as her head!  The dog owner
took a photo and we gave him our address so he could send us a copy but we
never got it.  AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!  The picture would have been priceless
with the two of them nose to nose.
 
I could go on forever here but maybe I should stop for now.  Might
short-out the keyboard if I keep going.  I'm so tired on so many levels,
it's not funny.  Tessa and Frodo are doing their best to keep my spirits
up.  So is Jasper and my friends Judith and Shelna.  Thanks to those who
gave me advice for her over the years and those who recently supplied me
with new emergency vet info when the place around the corner from us
closed.  Didn't know I'd need it *this* soon - [log in to unmask]
 
I guess our little adventurer has moved on to bigger and better things -
though I'd rather her here.  She just couldn't do it anymore and I knew
that last night when she looked at me, so I had to make the ultimate
sacrifice we all have to do eventually.  Buster's gonna be happy as all get
out to see her and I'm sure Gushi and Nik will razz her good.  We miss you
all.
 
Thanks for listening to me ramble and brag .... I've been told I do it well
when it comes to these guys. ;->   Take care and hugs to all.  oxo
 
George, Jasper, Tessa and Frodo
  - desperately missing Geisha, Buster, Nik and Gushi
[Posted in FML issue 2996]