Sorry to add to the downers on the FML, but I wanted to make just one
announcement and not have to type this several times.
 
I'm sorry to report that I had to have Old Man put down this evening.  I got
him on July 4, a stray ferret picked up by some good people in Squirrel
Hill.  I took him to the vet and he told me Old Man was 7 or 8 years old.
He had just about everything wrong a ferret could have -- two huge mast cell
tumors, an enlarged heart, a huge spleen, tumors throughout his abdomen,
probably insulinoma, probably adrenal, etc.
 
He had a good month with us, and we got very attached to him. He was a real
silver mitt with a nearly black nose. I'll put some pictures up eventually
on my web site of him. My friend, Pat, took some lovely pictures of him when
she watched him for me during the NJ ferret show.
 
Old Man had a very swollen abdomen, and it gradually got worse. Towards the
end he could only "swim" with his back legs and the last two days he didn't
have complete control of his bowels or bladder. Last night I noticed his
foot was swollen and tonight when I came home from work, it was *horribly*
swollen and he was in pain. The vet couldn't do anything for him and agreed
it was time.
 
Old Man loved his "goop" (regular kibble softened in water). Even up til the
end he gamely lapped up goop (although in the last two days, he wasn't
eating much). He loved crawling into plastic bags and especially enjoyed the
padded carry sack I keep  on the floor. He loved to "run" out in the front
hall when he got the chance (his running consisted of toodling about 6 feet
and resting) and would plop right out the front door when he saw the chance.
Just 2 nights ago he slowly explored the front porch while we sat out in the
cool night air. Two nights ago he gave me a kiss that melted my heart -- a
long slurp while I was scritching his neck. He appreciated the attention,
even if it was only one month.
 
My 16 year old daughter spent many afternoons with Old Man on her lap while
she watched TV. My husband enjoyed letting him walk out onto the front
porch. It always seemed like Old Man thought he was getting away with
something. :)
 
I didn't expect him to last this long. I knew he wasn't going be around a
long time, with all those problems. I'm glad I had this experience, even
though it's painful. Such plucky little things! He was a ferret to the end,
alright! :)
 
Have fun on the rainbow bridge, Old Man. I'm sure you're dooking up a storm.
Say hello to Keesa, Skittles, Babyface and Ariel for me. We're going to miss
that cute little nose of yours.
 
--Barb--
[Posted in FML issue 2400]