When I got up Tuesday morning, I checked on all of my four legged kids to see how everyone was doing before I went on with my day. When I checked on George and Lottie, I found George unconscious. Our vet diagnosed him with Insulinoma in October and I knew his blood sugar was probably out of whack. He is not the first ferret I have had with Insulinoma so I've been through the 'Insulinoma crashes' and knew how to handle them. But I knew this time with George was different. He began having seizures. I tried everything I did in the past when I had a ferret crash, but nothing was working. This went on for a few hours. The seizures subsided for awhile and I thought I got him through the worst of it. Nope, the relief was short lived and he started having seizures again. I can't describe what he was going through other than to say it was the most heartbreaking scene I've ever seen. I felt helpless because I couldn't even hold him because his seizures were so violent. He would scream the most ear-piercing scream I have every heard. I didn't think ferrets could scream and scream that loud. I have had a couple cry out before they past away, but nothing like George. I couldn't take it anymore. I called our vet clinic and said I was bringing George in ASAP. The clinic is about 30 miles from our house and I broke every speed limit to get there. When I got the clinic, one of the vet techs took us to a room immediately. Another one came in to get a brief synopsis on what was going on with George. I told her he needed to be put to sleep to end his suffering. Even if we pulled George through, he wouldn't be the same ferret my husband and I nicknamed 'Crazy Man' . We called him that because he would get so excited when we would let him out of his cage to play. He would jump and run crazily! In fact, he acted liked that the first time I saw him. Four years ago, I had gone to a home to rescue George and the rest of his family. The gentleman who had called the ferret rescue to pick them up had just lost his wife to cancer. He didn't want to take care of the ferrets since they had been his wife's four-legged kids. He only knew the names of the two of them--out of the 9 ferrets his wife had. I went into the 'ferret room' where the 9 of them were caged up in 2 large dog crates. When I opened up the door to one of the crates, George was the first one out and he came out dancing!! He was definitely the comedian of the group. After I got the group back to the rescue, I bathe them, clean their ears, cut their nails, and set them up in cage--and gave them new names. The entire time I was doing this, George watched my every move. I said to him, "Boy, you're very curious." This how George got his name 'Curious George', but I shortened it to 'George'. To make a long story short, my husband and I ended up adopting George and the rest of the group, minus four who had passed away before we began fostering them. We fell in love with them and couldn't let them go. Now, we only have 1 of the group left, Lottie. I took her with me when I took George in so she could 'say goodbye'. They've been together for a long time. I didn't want just take George away and have her wake up to find him gone. I believe animals grieve just like we do and need closure when they lose a beloved cage mate/friend/family member. After George past away, I sat down on the floor with him. I picked up and held Lottie next to him so she could see him. She sniffed him, groomed him a little and curled up next to him. She eventually laid on top of George gently and stayed that way for about 10 minutes or so. Then, she started to get fidgeted. I picked her up and held her next to George one more time, but she was done 'saying good bye'. So far, Lottie is doing ok. She is eating fine so she hasn't lost her appetite. But I know she is sad. She is the last one of her family group. For now, she has her own 'room'. I may try putting her with another group and see how she does. Lottie can hold her own but she is older and set in her ways (lol). Her nickname is 'Lottie Monster' if that gives you any idea of her personality. I know ferrets' lifespans are short compared to dogs and cats, but it still doesn't prepare you for the last moment you will ever hold them. I knew George's time was short due to his illness, but I thought we would have more time with him. However, he is at peace now and not longer suffering. I would like to believe that when George crossed the Rainbow Bridge he was dancing like a 'crazy man'!! I hope he was reunited with his family, (Molly, Mikey, Turner, Sammy, KK, Jay, and Minnie). I also hope they are all weasel war dancing up a storm. So, if you see a handsome silver ferret boy dancing like crazy while watching your every move, it is probably George!! I've lost a number of ferrets over the last several years. Each time one of them died, I cried and asked myself if there was something more I could have done for them. Once I moved through the grief, nothing but happy thoughts of the time I had with each of one them remains. I think it is going to take me a little longer with George. I can't close my eyes without seeing him going through the seizures. For just a brief moment during his seizures, I saw a flicker in George's eyes, I saw my 'crazy man'. It was as if he was not giving up the fight with the seizures. However, the longer the seizures went on, the less fight George had in him. When I saw his eyes tear up, I knew it was time to end his suffering. It was the hardest but the easiest decision I ever made when it came to saying good bye to one of my four-legged kids. My husband, who is an absolutely wonderful and compassionate man, cannot understand my grief. He empathizes with me but cannot even come close to understanding what I went through watching George. I hope I never have that experience again. My heart couldn't bear to watch another one of my 'kids' go through what George went through. Hold your ferrets a little closer and tell them that you love them. Cherish every moment with them!! Thanks for letting me share. Writing is an outlet for me and helps me to work through my grief. Lisa & the business of ferrets: Lottie, Bear, Carlin, Freya, Siduri, Snowball, Nonnie, and Mony [Posted in FML 6215]