please welcome felix over the bridge...he left early this morning
rather unexpectedly.

i adopted him from the denver dumb friends league last fall (along
with emma-wheee and ashby); as i heard it he'd been surrendered in the
'night drop' with an ailing cagemate and a note to the effect: "i can't
afford medical expenses, please help them, i don't want them to die."

his cagemate was beyond help and had to be euthanized right away,
and felix had a grape-sized tumor on his ear that was removed at the
shelter (found to be hemangiosarcoma; coincidentally the same thing
that killed my shay-shay in february of '09...seemingly rare in
ferrets). felix also had a benign cyst on his hip removed, had a dead
lower left fang (darkened) that i was always afraid he'd pull out when
he'd yank on the cage bars with his teeth so ferociously at first, and
lastly he was suspected to be blind (but he didn't seem to be after
all); he was deemed a 'special needs' ferret and a less-than-suitable
candidate for adoption, so i took him in as a 'package deal' with
emma-wheee and ashby (she a foundling and he another surrender; they
had caged felix and ashby together at the shelter and they seemed to
get along very well).

felix was an albino, his fur pretty yellowed when i got him, presumably
from cheap food. he'd lost most of his right ear post-surgery, but the
remainder of a tattoo could still barely be seen. he also had a big
nose...so endearing. he was definitely not a 'pretty' ferret...overall
a rough-looking old guy. his age was unknown but according to my vet he
was a middle-aged/senior ferret, and had experienced a pretty tough
life overall, he'd had 'a tough row to hoe', as the old saying goes...

he seemed happy but was always pretty mellow and reserved; and never
one for the usual ferret-treats or 'tone; he'd turn his nose up at
them and all but spit and gag at the mere scent...he really only liked
his crunchies, and recently, would relish 'treats' of the cat's food
instead of only the usual ferret food. he was never much for play and
would occasionally hiss when the younger ones would try to tussle a
bit too rough (or emma-wheee would try to ride him...her old 'uncle
felix'). he would sometimes run thru the tubes, or try to steal shoes,
but mostly liked to just find a comfy blanket to burrow in while
everyone else played, only to amble out when playtime for everyone
else was over.

i hope the few months he had here with everyone were happy; that he
left remembering a good forever home.

bridgegreeters, please make sure that dear felix finds everyone he
never met from the old gang here, and maybe is somehow reunited with
his old cagemate. i never knew the cagemate's name, tho, and i was
never able to find out if felix was his real name or a shelter-name.

i'm sorry you left so soon, big guy...

~sherrie, aka daoine o' the ferret queen

burleigh, pandora, ashby, emma-wheee and phoebe von plume (the
fluffiest ferret in the mountains)

and those over the bridge: pixie-doodle, shay-shay mcweasel, max,
sascha-beanhead, monty-boo, razzle, jezebel, loki, sylvi, natasha the
stranger, and dweezil...my one small star.

[Posted in FML 7014]