Well, today it happened.
 
My first and only foster, and one of the pair that I first adopted ever,
Paul, the tough old boy, was helped to the Rainbow Bridge.
 
Paul was a legend amongst ferrets.  He touched so many while he was here.
 
Many of you probably remember me posting about him because he was deaf
and blind.  What a tough old boy he was.  Made it to about ten years old
before everything caught up to him.  I know, how much more could a ferret
mommy ask for when one of your furbabies lasts until ten?
 
See, Paul was special.  He came to me deaf & blind, and the MSPCA in
Boston had found him abandonded in a trash can in Boston, MA.  Well, you
know the saying right?  One man's trash is another woman's treasure.
Well, Paul was my treasure.  And that treasure went to touch other lives
also, not just mine.  He was my treasure for two years.  I hope I made
the last years of his life happy.
 
He taught me so much.  He taught me that, when ferrets have disabilities,
it's the humans who care for them that have the hang ups.  They adjust.
We are the ones who have such a hard time dealing with things.  He had
adjusted so well he taught my other furkids a thing or two.
 
See, dealing with a deaf and blind ferret was one thing.  I handled
that just fine, no problems.  I loved him.  He was wonderful.  Then he
developed insulinoma.
 
That about killed me.  This is where he touched so many lives.  My very
good friend Cheryl took Paul under her wing (she has lots of experience
dealing with lots of different ferret diseases, and part of the decision
to let Paul go with her was due to scheduling...it was next to impossible
for me to get him to the vet as often as I would have needed to-and she
has so much experience with such things it was a tough decision but I'm
glad I made it).  She cared for him diligently, and then we began to
realize he had tumors all in his belly.  Then earlier this week he lost
use of his hind legs.  He lost his appetite.  It was time for the Bridge.
 
Paul, in his time between Cheryl and I, touched so many people.  Four
people who loved him today surrounded him.  Four women crying as we
helped him to the bridge.  Even the vet got teary eyed.  See, one of the
special things I used to do with Paul was that I would tuck him under my
chin (so he could feel the vibrations of my voice) and sing "You Are My
Sunshine" to him.  He would do a cute little Stevie Wonder head bobbing
thing when I did that.  He did it today.  We helped him to the Bridge, as
sad as we were to see him go, we know he is in a much better place.  He
can see and hear (how weird it must be for him to hear - I hope he's not
too startled by it) and run like crazy.  Maybe he could get his wings
too, I bet he'd love that.
 
Sandee, please watch for Paul and let him know all four of his mommies
love him very much.  We know he is in a better place.  He touched all of
us and then some when he was here.  He's a grumpy old boy, but only at
first.  He's really a mush.
 
Thanks so much, Sandee.
 
Sue (thinking of Cheryl, Wendy and Barb as I write this)
    and the fab four
Dante, Toby (missing his bonded buddy Paul), Templeton and Nala
[Posted in FML issue 3899]