It is with a very sad heart today that I write to tell you that Frosty,
my 10 year old had passed away in her sleep.  For those of you who know
me, and who know of the arduous move I made with my five ferrets in 1996
to California from Philadelphia after my husband finished his Pediatric
Residency, you'll understand the heartbreak I fell when I tell you Frosty
was the last of my original five.  She was my fourth ferret and my first
and most difficult rescue.  I found her in a Center City pet shop in 95',
where she and a cagemate had been dumped after living in hell in a
Fraternity house for 2 and a half years.  She had been so severely abused
that you simply had to stick your finger near the cage and she lunged for
the kill.  It took three months and a multitude of bandaids, but she quit
drawing blood.  It took another six months before she quit turning around
and putting her teeth on you when you'd pick her up.  It was a year and
a half before my husband and I ever saw her sleep.  Generally, no matter
the time of day or night, you could walk by and she stood watch in her
cage.  By the time we moved to Ca, she'd let most hold her, but truly
trusted only me.  Then, after the birth of mny daughter in 99', she
became, almost, a lap ferret and I trusted her with my baby daughter,
Samantha.  Sam is three now and Frosty was her favorite.  She'd let Sam
do anything to her and never once showed any proclivity to bite her, not
even if her tail was stepped on, or her ear pulled.
 
Today we spent the day at the park.  We came home at about 3:55pm and
let the ferrets out for their usual daily romp about the house.  Frosty
appeared as most old ferrets do, to be in that deep sleep, but it took
only a few moment to realize she was gone.  She was still warm and not
yet blue....we'd just missed her.  Oddly, most Sundays we are at home all
day.  I think maybe she knew it was her time and sent us away to save us
the pain of her passing.  I think I even know the moment she left this
world for the Rainbow Bridge.  We were at the park where I was enjoying a
softball game with friends, and at 3:45 pm, I picked up my glove, ball and
mitt and told my husband it was time to go.  I'm not sure why I picked
that moment, but I think it was Frosty.
 
Words cannot express the degree to which she will be missed.  She was
so very much loved.  And, we were so blessed to have her as part of our
family for the time she was with us.  She meets Oliver, Seymore, Slippers
of Shady Hollow, Speedy, Jasper, Zoe, Raisin Caine & Penelope at the
Rainbow Bridge.
 
Suni
SunFerret Shelter & Rescue
[Posted in FML issue 3837]