Hi all -
 
For you old timers, Leila is not a ferret - she is a cat.  When I got my
first ferret, Slinky, and was a regular poster here, I always signed off
from Mason, Slinky, and Leila the cat - who always had a curious thought
about ferrets.  She finally learned to deal with them, and they with her -
sort of.  A hiss always put them in their place.
 
Well, Slinky and Leila will be re-unitedlater today or tomorrow at the
Rainbow Brige.  Around Christmas time, Leila started to not eat as well
as she had been - but since she had "issues" with the other cats, we
attributed it to social reasons.  We brought her into the vet about 2 1/2
weeks ago, when she was diagnosed with a tumor in her abdomen.  Further
tests revealed it to be an aggressive pancreatic tumor.  Although quieter,
she was still good until the weekend.  Her appetite started to go down, and
she started to vomit most of what she ate - possibly a blockage from the
tumor.  As of last night she is getting very weak, and later today or
tomorrow morning we will help her cross to the Bridge, where Slinky will be
waiting to chase her once again.
 
I have to post this now, I'm sure I won;t be able to write about it later.
One thing ferrets can;t do that cats can which can wrap its haeart around
you is purr.  While you know your fuzzy loves you and cares, you don;t get
that visceral feedback from a purr.  With a cat you do.  And it makes it so
much harder to put down an animal when although she can barely move, she
starts purring madly when you just touch her.
 
Cheers - Mason, Pogo, Henry, the memory of Slinky, and (for the last time)
Leila the cat (who sure hopes that Slinky won;t be waiting to punce on her
again like he used to).
[Posted in FML issue 2984]