Hi,
 
I'd like to throw my input to the question of leaving/removing a dying
ferret from the business.
 
>From:    Shawn Richardson <[log in to unmask]>
>
>2. If I know one is ill and will probably not make it, should I
>seperate it from the others, or should I leave it with the others until
>it crosses the bridge?  My concern is for the ill and the well; I want
>the ill to be comforted in his/her last days by his/her playmates, but
>I am also concerned for the psychological strain it would put on the
>others to "watch" his/her fur sibling die.  Has anyone made this choice?
>What happened?
 
I've had both situations.  I keep a large number of ferrets as many are
from the shelter I ran before we moved and the rest are my personal pets.
All are treated the same and whenever possible, new ones are integrated
into the larger group.
 
My Cricket died of cancer.  She did so in the cage with all the others.
They all spent some time with her and I believe were able to tell that
she was sick and probably that she was dying.  I had one in particular
that insisted on sleeping with her and almost never left her side - even
during playtimes.  The night she died, I held Cricket for a couple hours
and then put her back in the cage.  When she was alone the next morning,
I knew she had died.  There was some grieving from the group, and a bit
more from Cricket's closest companion, but there was nothing too extreme.
 
I have also had an instance where the ferret died at the vet's office.
Maybe it's just my imagination, but the ferrets left behind seemed to
keep looking for her for a couple weeks after.  Her special companion,
Milky, went through a very big depression - wouldn't eat or play.  Milky
has been a special companion to others who have died too and she always
seems sad after, but this grief was especially hard.  I think it's
because in the eyes of the group, the ferret just left and never came
back.  When the death occurs in the cage, they seem to be able to
understand why the ferret goes away.
 
I've had this situation with dogs and cats as well.  My cats especially
reacted much better when the other cat died at home rather than at the
vet's office.  We had 3 cats from the same litter.  When the first died,
it was at the vet's.  The others would not sleep together (as they always
had) for months and did not play like ususal and seemed to be trying to
find their sister.
 
When it was time for the 2nd of those 3 to die, we had the vet come to
the house.  The surviving sister and the other cats in the house were
able to see the one who had died and know what had happened.  All
responded much better this way.
 
So, my 2" is that if you can leave the ferret with the others, you should
do so.  I think it is easier on the one who is dying and easier on the
survivors.
 
Kim
[Posted in FML issue 4031]