This is Susie Lee speaking for all of us at the Ferret And Dove Sanctuary, Inc. We are gathered together to remember the too brief life of a nameless rescue ferret who became Freddie Shyand Friendly just as soon as he was given into our care by the cat-and-dog shelter that took in this tiny waif wandering loose and rescued by a shelter-worker. Little Freddie was just six inches long from nose to tail-tip, and weighed one pound. He was estimated to be around five to six years old by the vet, who also removed a big growth from off the end of Freddie's tail which may have been why he was abandoned. For nearly two months, Freddie was happier almost every day, lifting up his newly un-weighted tail and investigating where the other ferrets had been, but he was always much too shy around all the other, bigger ferrets to want to play with them. Then, one sad day, he began having serious grand mal seizures, almost hourly, each seizure leaving more damage in its wake, inside him; but he was not ready to leave go of his life, so we had him to three different vets and testings to try and get the best possible treatment we could. Finally, between all three vets, the seizures ceased completely by the third day, but Freddie was left with several kinds of muscle-motor dysfunctions and needed to be fed and given water via an eyedropper every three hours as well as cleaned of incontinence. Still we gave him every measure of comfort we could concieve of...the softest fleeces to lie on, never to suffer hunger nor thirst nor soreness from his incontinence. And so he lived for the better part of another several days. And then the fourth morning, his poops had the appearance of still undigested food, and we knew his stomach and liver weren't working anymore, only peristalsis was moving the food through him. So after a last meal at 7 a.m., Wes took Freddie to his main vet, to see if any further thing might be done at all...and by the time he arrived at the vet's office, less than 4 minutes later, Freddie had expired. The vet said it looked like he'd gone to sleep after the last warm meal and died peacefully and painlessly. It's always hard on those left behind to see an innocent and loving little life pass through the Veil, but we are comforted to know that little Freddie did not suffer, and honored to have known him and been able to make his last days of some comfort. Bless this brave little soul who, as all ferrets do, are here to teach each of us so very much with each of their precious days, all of which are far too few. [Posted in FML issue 4696]