I was not sure if I would post about this story, but I just felt that
someone had to care, someone else needed to care that this happens.....
 
I was at the Kym Barone's home, the PA Ferret Rescue Montgomery County
Branch, Friday night after picking my Jack up from surgery.  Kym had read
my first post about the 'Challenge' after just hanging up with a woman who
wanted to get rid of her four older ferrets, one was 7 and she knew this
fuzz was very sick.  She did not want to deal with what was happening, she
wanted someone else to go through this for her, yes, this was what she
conveyed.  The ferrets were paired up, the 4 and 5 year old together and
the 6 and 7 year old together.  I offered to take the 6 and 7 year old
pair, knowing they would never leave the shelter and probably not last in
a shelter environment.  What I was met with Friday night was far beyond
anything I expected, I knew the 7 year old was sick and had adrenal, but
what I saw was a shock and heart breaking.  This poor little albino girl
barely weighed a pound if that, he tail was hairless and covered with
blackheads, her nails were filthy and she was simply dirty with thin hair,
nothing more than a skeleton covered in a thin coat of hair.  She barely
lifted her head when we looked into her cage, her eyes were almost
lifeless.  The woman had said she not eaten in at least 3 days and could
not walk.  But after taking her out and wrapping her in a blankie, rubbing
her head, talking to her and trying to coax a little AD into her, she
seemed to realize here was someone who cared, who wanted her to live, she
took a few bites and tried to walk.  Her hind legs could not support her
and she would barely make it a step before falling over.  We took a glucose
reading and it was 28, yes that is 28, no typo there.  She was started on
pred immediately.  She was so wonderful and patient through everything,
barely flinching.  I kept her wrapped in a blankie on my lap, talking to
her and trying to get a little food into her.  Her cagemate, who has
adrenal also, but looked in wonderful shape all things considered was
renamed Mira right on the spot, for her energy and bright eyes were nothing
short of a miracle, so it was Mira, half of MIRAcle.  But the little albino
who I was calling dollbaby that night, was renamed Cupcake by my daughter
because she was so sweet.
 
Cupcake and Mira came home with us Friday night.  We left the shelter
around midnight and when we got home, I tucked Mira into a nice comfy cage
alone and placed Cupcake on a blankie to be next to me.  We were up every
two hours to coax a little food and water into her.  When we did sleep, she
curled up right under my chin on my arm.  We awoke early Saturday to a much
brighter eyed Cupcake and with a few more feedings, she wanted to explore.
We sat outside on a blankie in a bright spot for some fresh air and she
went grass snorkling, still weak in the hind legs, but trying so hard.  She
tired quickly and we went back inside for a little nap for her.  By 3:30
that afternoon she was taking food on her own will, just about cleaning the
bowl.  Around 11 p.m.  Saturday night, she took a complete tour of the
living room, a bit more steady on those old legs.  She had a few more
feedings before we finally went to sleep around 1:30.  At 3 or so she woke
me up screaming, and I do mean screaming.  Her head was thrown back and she
was seizing.  I pulled her out of that with honey and she even took some
baby food turkey.  I wrapped her up and put her in bed with me.  I did not
want to wake her for another feeding, believing she needed her rest.  She
woke me again after 5:30 having another seizure, this time I could stop it,
she would not respond.  I rubbed her neck and she wrapped her paws around
my hand as if begging not to let her go or put her down.  Within minutes of
this seizure she had another and another.  I knew that no matter how much I
wanted or what I tried, the only thing to do was to end her pain.  I
wrapped her up and went to the emergency vet where they gave her the shot
to end her suffering.  The drive to the vet was terrible, she was in such
agony, I am not sure how we made it, I kept her on my lap, hoping she would
not feel alone or as afraid knowing I was still with her.  I rocked her
while she went to sleep, knowing that if she had only arrived a few days
sooner, we probably could have given her more time and more days out in the
sun and grass.  Maybe this is the way it was supposed to be for her, she
had spent at least the last year of her life in her cage all the time,
forgetting the love she hopefully once knew.  But the little time she had
with us, she knew someone loved her, knew someone would cry for her, knew
someone would make sure there was a marker on her grave under the pine
tree, there would be flowers, she knew someone who cared.  Because someone
needed to care, someone needed to be there for her, because she needed to
have someone to wait for at the bridge, and now she has Syd to keep her
company and to play with while they both wait.
 
The other little girl, Mira, will remain with us, one of my boys has been
quite taken with her and I think he will be wonderful for her after losing
her lifelong sister.  Mira will need surgery with Dr. Weiss since her other
adrenal was removed years ago, she is a wonderful candidate, full of life
and spunk, so happy to be cuddled and have so much run time.
 
My reason for posting was not to tell my story, but to make it clear that
someone needs to care, someone has to do something.  These are the stories
that happen everyday in shelters across this country.  I again issue my
challenge, I believe that everyone should show Cupcake people do care and
that we will give a little to help another old, neglected and dying fuzz
have just that one moment in the sunshine..... For anyone who missed it,
my challenge was for everyone to donate just $10 to the ferret shelter of
their choice.  I only heard from 4 people, 4 out of the THOUSANDS that
read this list.  We can do better than that, we can show we care for the
Cupcakes and Miras of this world.  Please, someone needs to care....
 
Hugs,
 
Jen and Gang
 
[Moderator's note: By the way, Judith sent me the latest FML shelter list.
I'll be posting it soon, probably in two parts.  It's always been a good
source of revenue for shelters.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 3053]