Hi Sandee, and Muldoone, and SaraFerret, Could you guys please watch for my Toby? I woke up this morning to find him on the first level of his cage, paralyzed and covered in his own poop, I'm only guessing that what paralyzed him was a massive stroke. The vet was coming at 9 am to help him along to the bridge. He was always such a strong and stubborn lil fert from the first day I adopted him. I first purchased my Dante, a beautiful albino, at a pet store, a lil over five years ago. A year into being owned by Dante ferret math hit and it was all over. I decided Dante needed a friend. I did some research and found a rescue/shelter out in western Mass that was close to (at the time) my then boyfriend's parent's home. I was out that way every weekend from the Boston area. Donna let me bring Dante out one July day in 2001 to pick himself out a friend. Well, Dante not only picked out one but two new friends, and I found that ferrret math multiplies rather quickly. Dante found Toby, and they hit it off famously from the get go in Donna's kitchen. Apparently Toby's owner had been allergic to him and had decided to give him up (to my benefit!), and was quite the spunky lil fert. While he was never a biter, he was stubborn and fresh with many ferrets at the rescue and had only really ever bonded with his cagemate, Paul. Enter in adoption #2, the same day I adopted Toby. Donna decided to introduce Paul in the kitchen when Dante chose Toby as his friend (I didn't care about color, or anything...I wanted Dante to have his say in his new friend), and the three of them romped in the kitchen and had a grand old time. Now, Paul was around 8 years old, and blind and deaf to boot. Only thing is, I don't think anyone ever told him. The two came home with me that day and I had fallen in love with them. Paul taught me a lot about handling a disability in a ferret. Mostly, that I was the one with the disability. Ferrets truly learn how to function without a problem. Humans are the ones with hesitations. Sadly, Paul (at the age of approximately 11) was helped to the Bridge. He, too, had had a stroke of some type. I think Sandee gave him his wings back then, he had always wanted to learn to fly. God knows he did everything else. Toby was a little spitfire of a ferret. He had the whitest mitts and bib out of any ferret I'd ever seen until last year when his markings started to change. He was stubborn too, never liking any sort of treat and always turning his nose up at whatever everyone else in the gang loved. No raisins. No Froot Loops. No String Beans (Hooper's favorite, I know..weird). Maybe he will love it all at the Bridge. The only thing he truly loved was his Shepard & Green kibble. He lived hard and he played hard, and was super protective of Dante and Paul. He was not always accepting of other ferrets who came to visit or who I would help transport. But sometimes he would completely and fully accept someone. An unpredictable soul. Sandee, and SaraFerret, and Muldoone, please have Paul ready and waiting for Toby when he comes across. They will have a wonderful time tube running, war dancing and wrestling together again. I will miss you terribly, old friend. Your sister and brothers already wonder where you have gone and left them behind. Sue and no longer the fab five, now down to the fab four: Dante, Templeton, Nala and Hooper [Posted in FML issue 4799]