I am happy to announce that as of May 1, Mr. ChuCullain "Cully" Harrison Ferret has reached the grand old age of nine. Now, May 1st is just his honorary birthday, and nine is a guess (his known history streches back six years, and a vet guestimated him at 3 when he showed up as a lost foundling). But whenever he was actually born, and however many months and years he has racked up, he is a fine old ferret, and a ferret who has demonstrated the resiliency and determination of all ferretry to an admirable degree. Cully's story is familiar to many here, either from me talking about him or from the Problem Biters FAQ, which I compiled because of him. The gist is that Cully came to me as a serious biter with big trust issues, and today he is a kissy ferret who sprawls out next to me on the bed in the mornings to say hello. He was once a champagne siamese, but over the years his mask and points have faded, leaving him a fluffy sandy yellow all over. He underwent adrenal surgery in August 1999, when he was also diagnosed with insulinoma and lymphoma. He's been maintaining ok on pediapred, though I can see his hind legs becoming worse pretty quickly. All in all, he's my big old tough guy, and he has lived/lives a life worth celebrating. Give all your old geezers an extra hug today and congratulate them for ferrety lives well lived :-) Regina Regina Harrison [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/1083 http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Labyrinth/8096 [Posted in FML issue 3042]