Eight years is a long time, but it is also a short time.  It all depends
on if look at it with joy or sadness.  Tonight I am doing both.  My baby
boy Fidget, my Boo Bear, my little angel, the sunshine of my life, my
little Prince, that sneaky weasel, left us for the Bridge.  I'm certain
he heard his sister Hotspur calling him and couldn't resist her teasing.
 
A little over seven and a half years ago this little bundle of sable
ferrety love came into our lives.  We had just lost our girl Loki and I
had sworn I could not have my heart ripped out again.  My apartment was
awfully quite though, with no little chortles and ferret sighs.  Lo and
behold fate intervened and the next thing we knew Fidget was taking over
our home.
 
Our poor cat Ghost, accustomed to playing hide and seek with Loki, was
shocked to indignity when Fidget attempted to jump on her back.  Oh
the horror of it all!  I was shocked that a ferret would eat cloth,
rubberbands, styrofoam, plastic, well you name it, he ate it.  I was
even more shocked that I didn't have to purchase Fidget his own wing at
the vet's office.  Fidget apparently come with an optional upgrade of an
iron stomach.
 
My boy graciously accepted the addition of a little sister when he was
1.5.  Hotspur adored her brother and hated all other ferrets.  She was
constantly by his side until the day she left us, only a few short weeks
ago on December 28, 2004.
 
Fidget was a happy go lucky kinda guy.  Always in a good mood, didn't
know what impossible meant and was certain that something super cool was
on the other side of every closed door.  He loved to visit the fishpond
for his evening drink, no matter what the temperature, and demanded to
have his morning drink from the bathtub.
 
Fidget was the sunshine of my life.  He was my boy, my Boo.  The one that
only had to look at me to make me smile, even on my darkest days.  On
Saturday we took a trip.  He spent most of the 3.5 hour ride asleep in my
coat.  On our return trip Monday he did the same.  I am thankful for that
time spent with him, even if we were both mostly asleep.
 
Sometime after 8 this morning my baby boy heard his sister calling and
could not refuse.  He didn't refuse her anything, well except maybe his
Cheweasel.  His earthly resting place is beside his Hotspur in our back
yard.  This spring I will mark both places.
 
Fidget lived his ferrety life the way we all should live our lives, no
matter what species, with good humor and grace.  I hope that I can follow
his lead.
 
Muldoone, please keep an eye out for Fidget.  He's a handsome sable boy
with a lovely thick coat and a smile on his face.  Fidget loves everyone
he meets and has the patience of an angel.  Please make sure his sister
Hotspur is waiting for him.  I know he left us to be with her.  Tell him
we love him desperately and that it's going to be hard here without them
both.
 
Chris in WV, missing her babies
[Posted in FML issue 4762]