Dear Jim,
 
I read on the FML that you are emotionally beating yourself up over the
loss of Otis.  Please, don't do this to yourself!  No good can come from
this!  Accidents happen and sometimes we do things without thinking.
Otis's passing wasn't due to a malicious act.
 
I know the feeling of causing the loss of a furry family member.  I
accidentally killed our 4 year old guinea pig.  When we were staying with
friends, I took the bottom tray off of Fozzy's cage and set the cage in the
lush green grass so that he could "graze" as he so often had done at our
own home.  It didn't even cross my mind to ask if the lawn was so lush
because of FERTILIZER!  Poor Fozzy!  Talk about guilt!!  We all loved that
guniea pig just as much as we love our ferrets and our cats!  Now I am
paranoid about grass and won't even let the ferrets out on grass now in
case of risidual fertilizer from the neighbor.
 
My point is, the guilt didn't accomplish anything productive but caution in
the future does.
 
I am sure that Otis doesn't blame you and neither does Marie.  And I am
sure that Tazz is happy to have his friend with him at the Rainbow Bridge!
 
Renee
[Posted in FML issue 2915]