hello all, i have something to share with you all. forgive me big, as i know this isnt entirely ferret related. today i watched my cat of 14 years struggle to live and breathe. noone else would do it, so i made the call to help him out of this world. he was a great big black cat with a white patch on his tummy. i named him salem after the king book and my fascination with witches when i was about 13 years old. his name stuck, especially since he could be downright evil and precocious about attacking foolish feet without socks. when my parents moved out of city limits, he finally had soo much freedom outdoors that he never wanted inside except when it was unbearably cold. today, old and tired, he was ready to leave us and was at the door to greet me when i got home from college. i let him in and he laid down and purred even as he struggled to draw breath! skin and bones and unable to stand up with out wobbling, i knew it was time. he loved me much i think. to meet me and say goodbye in his way. so what does this have to do with ferrets? well, i will tell you. before i came home, i stopped at the mailbox at the front of the drive and check it. as i got back in my car, i looked up in the cold crisp cloud covered sky. i saw a partly cloudy, partly blue sky with a brilliant sun....and a rainbow. at first, i thought to myself, oh no, not my ferrets! you see, i believe in the rainbow bridge as it is the only way i will feel comfortable with letting go of my furry friends when the time comes. why was a rainbow in winter? not any rain for it either. i felt fear for my fuzzies, but it wasnt a ferret that was leaving me, but my old man cat. i know that seeing the rainbow was a good sign and my salem will be there for me, waiting to headbut me and eat popcorn again. for all those losing or lost a ferret, take it from me: the rainbow is a gift and a precious one too. in my heart i will always love salem, but at least i know that when i lose one of my fuzzies that he will be there to watch over them for me until i get there too. i rarely ever post anymore as i have little time to do more than check my email. but i needed to let you guys know and understand how important it is to hold the concept of the rainbow bridge in your heart. thaks for letting me speak up-- malissa dillion [Posted in FML issue 2891]