Snowball is a four year old albino.  He was caged with Cujo for the last
two years.  As most of you will recall, Cujo died three weeks ago after a
two and a half year fight against adrenal disease and an infected prostatic
cyst.
 
After Cujo died, we put Bandit and Valentine in with Snowball because he
always seemed to want to sleep curled up with Cujo.  Since then, almost
nightly, I have noticed him going to the litter box around 8 or 9 pm and
sitting there staring at me.  So I started going over, taking him out and
holding him.  Now, Snowball is normally a hyper ferret.  When he is out,
toes beware.  But, at night, I will sit on the couch with him laying on my
arm.  Most nights he will put his head on my shoulder, or just under my
chin and I stroke his head lightly.  And GOES TO SLEEP!  Sometime for only
five minutes, sometimes for almost an hour.  Then he will stir, yawn look
around, and gets restless.  I put him back in the cage and he goes to
sleep.
 
Strange thing is......I never noticed him wanting to do this before.  Only
since Cujo left.  Was he doing it and I just didn't notice because I was so
tuned into watching for any different behavior from Cujo that I didn't see
Snowball?  Does he still miss Cujo, and just wants to be held and reassured?
That last part seems a little too much.  Still, I wonder just what does go
on in those fuzzy little heads.
 
Don't really care, though, what the reason is.  I just know it makes me
feel so good to sit and hold Snowball as he sleeps, and I think of Cujo at
those times.  Maybe it is ME, not Snowball, that has started these little
"snuggle breaks".  Ah, fuzzy therapy.
 
Charlie, Aggie, Donna, Bandit, Snowball, Valentine
Missing Cujo
[Posted in FML issue 2868]