I have been way behind on reading the FML.  On January 3rd, I did some
catching up and happened to read the post from one of the subscribers about
the devastating loss she suffered.  She quoted "Good night, sweet prince...
may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." To her and all that have lost
fur kids... please accept my most heartfelt condolences.
 
On December 3, 1999, Draco, my dragon man, finally succumbed to cancer.
I thought it too painful to post here about his death, but I realize now
that I do him an injustice to not share him and his story.  I adopted Draco
and his long time cagemate, Lillie, from a local shelter just over 3 years
ago.  My husband and I went there to buy TF.  Naturally, I had to look at
all the fur kids.  In one cage, I saw the most unusual looking ferret I'd
ever seen.  I asked to hold him and will never forget his sparkling, bright
eyes staring intently at me as he kissed me over and over.  Lillie was a
beautiful little DEW, but a biter who did not like other ferrets, which
would pose a problem with my others at home, but Igor (as he was named
then) adopted me on the spot...no ifs ands or buts about it.  He had
decided that I was his.
 
Once they were here, I noticed that "Igor" looked exactly like the dragon
in the movie, Dragon Heart...so his name became Draco.  He was as sweet a
boy as one could ever hope to meet.  Lillie was a biter...a nose piercer to
be exact.  It took months of working with her to get her to finally, one
joyous day, kiss my hand as I scratched her back.  Lillie and Draco were
as close as any two ferrets I've ever seen.  They had no use for other
ferrets, they only needed each other.  They often ran around the house,
side by side, dooking continuously...as if they were commenting on this and
that.  They had their fights too, though, and what fights they were...you
could almost see the fur flying.  But they always made up.  They were like
an old married couple who had been together forever.  I started to write
the rest of Draco's story here...but realized it would be far too long and
BIG would not be able to post it.  I will just say that Draco got sick and
spent the night at the vet's and, when he came home, Lillie rejected him,
and never accepted him back.  I believe Draco never got over that loss.
After he lost her, I helped him fight illness after illness...twice
bringing him back from the brink of death.  He and I became very close as
he had no other friends.  In truth, Draco was so unlike other ferrets, I
don't think I even really thought of him as one.=20 He didn't look much
like a ferret...he had longer legs than most and "pranced" around the
house when he felt good.  When I began making Bob C's chicken gravy, Draco
finally to feel better and began eating on his own.  He even made new
friends when my son adopted 2 little girls from the shelter.  He finally
was sharing a cage again with my son's 3 boys and 2 girls, but he lost his
two best friends, Felix and Orion, within a couple months of each other
shortly after.
 
Draco began to waste away.  He was getting quite old... probably 8+ years.
When medication stopped the diarrhea, he would quit eating.  I would give
him the medication one day, but not the next...so he would eat at least
sometimes.  Then my son moved out of state and took his fur kids with him.
Draco was alone again.  On December 3, 1999, I knew as soon as I awoke that
he was gravely ill.  After a few hours, I took him to the vet to put him to
sleep.  It was the first time I ever had to make that decision.  I brought
him home and wrapped him in a blanket and put him on the bed next to me and
held him and slept.  Then I took him back to the vet's for a necropsy and
to be cremated.  Draco died of intestinal cancer.  He had two tumors...one
that almost completely blocked his intestines and one that, on that last
day, perforated his intestinal wall.  Surgery could have repaired his
intestines, but he also had masses in both kidneys.  It was simply his
time.  He was unique and very, very special.  He was a proud ferret...a
dignified ferret.
 
I never even thought about exploratory surgery for a wasting disease...if
it were only the intestinal tumors, that could have been repaired.  Maybe
this knowledge will save another fuzzie somewhere.  "Good night, sweet
prince", indeed....
 
Judy
 
P.S.  I should have thanked Sandee sooner for welcoming Draco to the
bridge...it was just too hard till now.  Thank you...
[Posted in FML issue 2922]