It hurts me deeply to see that my friend has had to experience the loss
of not one, but two loved pets this past month. Ping and Puma have been
together for many years and had a close bond. Years ago I acquired my
first ferret, Sammie (who survived by the grace of God) in the spring
of 1993. In the summer of 1995 I got him a younger playmate, Li'l Girl,
who was only a kit. Sammie was at least 5 or 6 and he would "put her
away" in the toy pile after playing for about half an hour. He was the
only ferret she ever knew and she bonded with him. In November, we
acquired Smokey, a returned to the store kit who was about the same
age as Li'l Girl. Three weeks later, we lost Sammie to lymphosarcoma.
It didn't really effect Smokey, but it nearly killed Li'l Girl -
literally. For three full weeks she grieved, lay on the floor and would
not eat or play. Smokey lay beside her every day. Then, on the 22nd
day, he literally pushed her, dragged her, cajoled her, everything he
could do to get her to play with him. She finally did. And, she ate.
I think that Smokey KNEW just how much she needed to grieve, knew how
much she COULD grieve and still stay with us and he just did not give
up on her. He saved her life. Smokey died at the age of 4, in 1999.
Li'l Girl lived until 2001, until she left us as a result of islet
cell carcinoma.

Grief can kill and I know that somewhere Ping and Puma are torturing
France while trading tales with the rest of the Colburn Clan. Rest in
peace, Puma. Be at peace, Alex and Dann.

-- 
Renee Downs
"Eventually we will realize that if we destroy the ecosystem we destroy
 ourselves." Jonas Salk
"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." Amelia Earhart
It's amazing how much can be accomplished if nobody cares who gets
the credit!
Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue & Evacuation Team (F.E.R.R.E.T.)
http://www.ferretemergency.org
[log in to unmask]
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org

[Posted in FML 6099]