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]