I feel for you and know exactly how you must hurt inside.  I am writing
this to let you know that you are not the only one this has happened to.
We all must learn by out experiences.
 
Slinkey was me first ferret, in 1984.  He was absolutely the greatest.
He and the cat loved and played with each other.  He also played with my
neighbors little dog.  One night after he and the dog had frolicked around
(in the house) I noticed that his collar and bell were missing.  I was
watching TV and Slinkey jumped up in my lap and scared me(no noise).  I
immediately spoke to him and said, "Wow, tomorrow I must get you another
bell, so I can hear you".
 
But on the next morning as I walked by my bed, he jumped out from
underneath it and I didn't see him and I accidentally kicked him.  It was
the days when scent glands were not automatically removed and boy did he
ever poof.  I knew that I had really hurt him, though he still was walking
and went over to his bowl to eat.
 
When the vets office was open an hour later I took him immediately.  He did
not have any broken bones, nor was there any blood in his ear, nose or
mouth.  By this time he had gotten a bit lethargic.  The vet thought that
it was probably shock.  So I took him home and kept him warm and petted
him every chance I could.
 
I had to leave for about 2 hours and when I returned he was lying flat
bottom in the hallway.  MY first reaction was that he was on his way to
greet me, but when he didn't move--I knew.  He was dead.  I felt like a
murdered and went hysterical.  I had never killed anything in my life.  But
is was an accident and though I felt absolutely miserable I learned from
this experience as you have.  I now had an abundant supply of collars and
bells all over the house and the second I see one missing from my ferrets
neck, on goes another one.  And have not had another accident since.
 
So you learn and move on.  Yes you feel pain, but it will eventually go
away as this accident was not intentional.  You will get another ferret
and you will love him all the more.  My sympathies to you.
 
We survived the Petsburgh Critique
www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Zoo/3133
http://communities.msn.com/Ferret
ICQ# 33966544
Defending those who cannot defend themselves!
<http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Haven/2303 >
[Posted in FML issue 2935]