Hi Sandee, and Muldoone, and SaraFerret,
 
Could you guys please watch for my Toby?  I woke up this morning to find
him on the first level of his cage, paralyzed and covered in his own
poop, I'm only guessing that what paralyzed him was a massive stroke.
The vet was coming at 9 am to help him along to the bridge.
 
He was always such a strong and stubborn lil fert from the first day I
adopted him.  I first purchased my Dante, a beautiful albino, at a pet
store, a lil over five years ago.  A year into being owned by Dante
ferret math hit and it was all over.  I decided Dante needed a friend.
 
I did some research and found a rescue/shelter out in western Mass that
was close to (at the time) my then boyfriend's parent's home.  I was out
that way every weekend from the Boston area.  Donna let me bring Dante
out one July day in 2001 to pick himself out a friend.
 
Well, Dante not only picked out one but two new friends, and I found that
ferrret math multiplies rather quickly.  Dante found Toby, and they hit
it off famously from the get go in Donna's kitchen.  Apparently Toby's
owner had been allergic to him and had decided to give him up (to my
benefit!), and was quite the spunky lil fert.  While he was never a
biter, he was stubborn and fresh with many ferrets at the rescue and had
only really ever bonded with his cagemate, Paul.  Enter in adoption #2,
the same day I adopted Toby.  Donna decided to introduce Paul in the
kitchen when Dante chose Toby as his friend (I didn't care about color,
or anything...I wanted Dante to have his say in his new friend), and the
three of them romped in the kitchen and had a grand old time.  Now, Paul
was around 8 years old, and blind and deaf to boot.  Only thing is, I
don't think anyone ever told him.
 
The two came home with me that day and I had fallen in love with them.
Paul taught me a lot about handling a disability in a ferret.  Mostly,
that I was the one with the disability.  Ferrets truly learn how to
function without a problem.  Humans are the ones with hesitations.
 
Sadly, Paul (at the age of approximately 11) was helped to the Bridge.
He, too, had had a stroke of some type.  I think Sandee gave him his
wings back then, he had always wanted to learn to fly.  God knows he did
everything else.
 
Toby was a little spitfire of a ferret.  He had the whitest mitts and bib
out of any ferret I'd ever seen until last year when his markings started
to change.  He was stubborn too, never liking any sort of treat and
always turning his nose up at whatever everyone else in the gang loved.
No raisins.  No Froot Loops.  No String Beans (Hooper's favorite, I
know..weird).  Maybe he will love it all at the Bridge.  The only thing
he truly loved was his Shepard & Green kibble.  He lived hard and he
played hard, and was super protective of Dante and Paul.  He was not
always accepting of other ferrets who came to visit or who I would help
transport.  But sometimes he would completely and fully accept someone.
An unpredictable soul.
 
Sandee, and SaraFerret, and Muldoone, please have Paul ready and waiting
for Toby when he comes across.  They will have a wonderful time tube
running, war dancing and wrestling together again.
 
I will miss you terribly, old friend.  Your sister and brothers already
wonder where you have gone and left them behind.
 
Sue
and no longer the fab five, now down to the fab four:
Dante, Templeton, Nala and Hooper
[Posted in FML issue 4799]