I know I am new to this group but I wanted to share the story of a very special ferret for my first introduction. His name was Monster, the monster that never was. I got him back in Easter of 09. He came from a father who's son left him to go live with his girlfriend. My friend would talk about him and ask questions on how to keep a ferret that wasn't hers happy. She would walk him and play with him when the neighbor was home but knew that this wasn't hot a ferret should live. So one day between my high school classes, She asked me if I could take monster in over the Easter break. I had been looking around for my third ferret so I was happy that the ferret came to me. Being me, I didn't ask my parents and brought a container to sneak him in. My parents don't care about me bringing home ferrets but I tend to not ask anyway. When I first saw him, I felt so exicted to be getting my first bandit. He was amazing and I wanted to love him forever. Sneaking him in was a breeze and my original two kids were nosy at who I was bringing home to "their" domain. But monster was always the gentleman. He would play but never too rough. While lelloo and jack ran off to do damage, he relaxed in my lap or went to find a pile of blankets. Many ferrets came since than. I started out with just lelloo and jack. Than monster who according to the vet was roughly 5-6 yrs old. Next came my two girls Ripply, and Dakota during the fall. December brought me a spicy little albino named pixie. But it was the ferret that came to me the next Jan-Feb in the middle of the night that really made monster's life whole. I use to work at mc Donald and hated it but it was a job to support what I loved. While at work, I get a text from a girl that I had re homed a friends ferret back in the fall. She asked me to come and get the ferret because he was losing his fur. I had been trying to get him back for a while since the home became a scene of horror. They fed their ferrets rabbit food, didn't let them out, and really just let them sit in the cage to die of some illness. I couldn't say no and leave him there so I told her I would stop by after work. Now..I didn't have a carrier, a lot of money, or even a big idea of how I was going to deal with a seventh ferret. But I went and picked him up anyway!! Dingo wasn't snuck in but more carried in in a hurry to get him in good light. He was skinny, almost hairless, and just so pissed off at life. He did not want a single thing to do with me. Dingo would find a space to sleep by himself but like a kid that won't say no...Monster crawled up and curled with his naked ass. Monny brought his warmth and taught him to love the other ferrets. They went to the vet together, outside, everything. Dingo got his first lupron shot with monster by his side. Monster gave this old man love that he desperately needed. Monster developed insulinoma that spring and was put on prednizolone. He would get ulcers at any given moment and both boys went through ulcer med's like they were drugs of choice. Dingo hates medication. Monster would only grumble. Monster also started losing his fur after being diagnosed with insulinoma and was put on lupron. His fur never grew back but Dingo turned into a funky silver with a lop sided face. Only a mother could love!! Monster was my car show ferret. He loved girls with big boobs and was kind of perverted. He saw Santa last December and loved every bit of it. A blind, and deaf child even got to feel what a ferret was and got excited at the existence of such a lovely creature. 1/9/11 was the day monster had the first down spell with his medication since last august. He went really stiff and wobbly after bringing him back from being in a low bg spell. I talked to a few people and they said it was a seizure. So i called my vet and got a new medication started the next day. Monster wasn't the same. He fought me every step of the way for his medication. A first since I got him. He started to isolate himself from the others and slept by himself in piles of blankets, or a hammock hanging from the bottom of the fn. That night I held him and got that feeling that he was trying to tell me he was done. He no longer wanted to fight. The moment had come and he wanted to make it clear by not being with his buddy's. I was going to do it in the morning but..I held out hoping he would get better. 1/11/11 5:00 in the afternoon I release monster to go over the bridge. Before I left I let everyone give him a kiss and than packed him in the ferret carry bag he picked out at the ferret show in December. He loved it and slept in it when ever he got the chance. I picked a place over the hill and made him the start of the ferret cemetery looking over the horse feild. Right now I am battling depression not only with myself but with his buddy Dingo. He's on ulcer meds and keeps getting urinary sheath area infections. The poor boy lost his best friend and now he's sick. He lost all or at least most of the weight he gained on the melatonin implant but still eats. I worry about keeping him sane enough to get past the death of his best freind. A question I ask. I always read those message story's about ferrets going over the bridge and wanted to know if someone could make one for monster? He's really a special boy and I would like to get a print out for a picture frame just for him. He taught me how to sacrifice fun for medication times, about routines, this dreadfull disease, and how to love the ones that don't like me. Dingo only JUST tolerates me holding him. Monster taught me patience on his behalf. Thanks a ton, Cara Unknown Ferret Sancurary Lelloo, Jack, Dingo, Ripply, Dakota, Pixie, Bear, Swipper, Tulia, Taz, and the two fosters. Will be missed- Monster 1/11/11 [Posted in FML 6947]