Glum news,
 
    The end of an era was reached Friday.  I had to euthanize V'orri, the
last of my home grown hand raised babies, at age 6 1/2.  As I was leaving
for the vet, my best friend called who has the last of the rescue ferrets I
worked with, Molly the Terror.  I already knew that V'orri was terminally
ill, but Molly had very suddenly started to refuse food, and was actively
fighting force feeding.  She brought to the vet as well, and due to her
rapid [3 day] deterioration she was also euthanized.  In less than a two
hour period, the last two "project" ferrets were both gone.  Both Maggie
and I feel at a loss.  I at least knew this was coming, but she had very
little warning.  Molly was 7 or so, but until three days ago had been
bouncing around playing when let out of her cage.
 
    I felt that my little sable Kayla needed a buddy, so I have had feelers
out looking for an albino female.  An hour after I got back from the vet
with V'orri, the pet store called to say they had had an albino female come
in.  I didn't have time to go look before I went to work, and had planned
to go Saturday AM.  When I got home from work, the SO suggested that I go
play with Kayla since I was so depressed over V'orri's death.  It took me
several minutes to realize that there was a little white baby ferret in
V'orri's cage.  :) She is tiny - I haven't seen a ferret this small for
sale in over 10 years.  I called the pet store this morning to arrange to
get copies of the health guarantee and check on age.  They said the ferrets
came from Marshall Farms, and range in age from 6-8 weeks [there were 15 in
the shipment].  The health guarantee is for one year.  My guess is that she
is just *barely* 6 weeks.  She will be visiting the vet Monday for a
check-up.  She's awfully sneezy, even for a ferret.  I would have liked to
look at a couple of the males as well, but I'm certainly not complaining
about the SO being thoughtful enough to go and get her for me.
 
I have to think of another name :)
 
Janice Underwood                             Silk CGC [greyhound]
Schenectady, NY
e-mail: [log in to unmask]        Kayla [sable ferret kit]
[Posted in FML issue 1390]