>So, I am asking if anyone has any idea about when it is time to let a >ferret go? I know I have been medicating him for years, artificially >extending his life, but is there a time when they get tired, so to >speak, of the effort? He just doesn't do anything anymore, he doesn't >play, he doesn't eat, drink (though that's probably because he's getting >enough water in his wet food), only this last weekend did he finally get >himself into the litter box, at least half the time. He doesn't seem >very happy about my syringe-feeding him, either. Of course no one can tell you what to do. I've been there so I know how hard it is to let an animal go or make the decision to put them to sleep. But it sounds like from all you've said that the ferret basically has no quality of life left and has really only been alive for several years because of you "artificially extending his life". There comes a time when we all have to put the animal's best interests above our own comfort level. I don't mean that in a nasty way, but I just mean that it may comfort US to keep them around as long as possible, but it may not be what's best for the animal. It's a little different with people because we can speak up and say "I've had enough and want to give up now; let me go" or "I'm in pain; please help me." Animals can't communicate in the same way and so it's up to us to make the hard decisions. If an animal was left to it's own defenses under the same circumstances it would probably would have died already, but when we have an animal in our care we have the ability to make that transition as fast and painless as possible for them. I have gone thru losing animals and I know it's hard, but it sounds like it's past time for your ferret to go. [Posted in FML issue 4113]