This is going to be a very sad Christmas. My little ferret Rascal passed away last night. She was my special little girl. She wasn't feeling well the past few days and last night was her final fight. I found her lying still and unresponsive in her igloo. I wrapped her in a towel and heating pad and held her in my arms. I gave her some water by eyedropper to try and get her to drink, and she did a little. After about an hour of talking to her and snuggling her, she started to come around a little. Her breathing got stronger and she even lifted her head a little and chattered to me in her little ferret way. But then after a few short moments of that, she started to decline again. I held her close and talked to her and scratched her favorite itchy-spot on her shoulders for another 20 minutes before she quietly slipped from this life into the next. I buried her out back under my favorite apricot tree. She always liked to nibble on her dried apricots. She was a very old girl. She would have turned 17 years old on January 1st. That's right - 17 years old. That's kind of like a human making it to 320. I'm very proud to have shared my life with her and to have been able to have the opportunity to save her all those years ago and give her the life she deserved. She had a very long life and I tried to make it as happy as possible. She leaves behind her three younger ferret brothers, Mischief (14 years old), Lightning (7 years old), and Thunder (5 years old). They are very depressed by the loss of their big sis and have spent the entire time curled up in their igloo, they didn't even want to come out this morning for breakfast or treats. So this is going to be a very sad Christmas for all of us over here. Please keep us - and especially my little one - in your thoughts and wish her a Merry Christmas in Heaven. Until we meet again my little one, I love you.
~Mary
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