IT'S A MOM THING....

I went to the County Clerk's office and got my DBA , so now I am "officially" Friskybiznus Ferret Foster Home and Adoption ! Next step is to write out my mission statement and a business plan of some sort (including a budget, LOL!). Luckily, Keith made me write out a ferret budget a couple of months ago. Boy, it that an eye-opener. I spend a lot of money on paper towels!!!

A note of thanks to all of my friends who are rooting for me and being so supportive!!! You rock!

In other news --- everyone is doing just fine. The Duck Soup dilemma seems to have passed and we are all eating it with enthusiasm, except poor Ziggy, who just can't quite eat his DS without my intervention. Usually, one he gets going, he eats it up...but it takes some real encouragement. He's no longer a baby anymore, our Ziggy, having lost the last of any "baby fat and fluff". Now he is as sleek and graceful as Rocky. It's weird.

Milo, the baby, is now the goofy, clumsy one and bigger than any of the others. His personality is so much like Ziggy's, it's uncanny. And we are always calling each of then by the other's name!

We all still miss Cupid so very much. It is a bittersweet feeling to see Dave sleeping in the sock nest alone...oh, writing this will make me cry.

That's it. Mother's Day was lovely and I am blessed to be called "Mom" by two amazing sons and five little fuzzbutts!

DAVE'S BLOG

O, hai, dis be Dave. I write de blog tonite becuz mah Mommy dozn't feel goodz. She went to da peeple vet and he sez she gotz a bronkitus.

So, dis good tyme to remind everybuddy to be carefulz wit ur ferrets when u getz a cold or sumting. We can git sik ezy. And we can cach ur coldz!

We all been good boyz todayz. We sure miss r friend, Cupid, tho. Mommy sez he went to a place he not sik enymor. Dat makes me very happy.

Milo got black eye, cuz he play too rough with Ziggy. But he still iz playin too rough, even tho Mommy said stop. He prolly git anuther black eye. Dat be funny to me!

OK, dat all. Mommy prolly back tomorrow.

Love,

Dave E. Bear

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

My son, Nathan, told me he had a dream about Cupid yesterday morning. He dreamt that Cupid was bouncing and playing and climbing on his head. I choose to believe that this was Cupid's message to me: that he is just fine; that he is happy, free and healthy again. And that there really is such a place called "heaven".

The Eric Clapton song, Tears in Heaven, has been running through my head for a few days now. Nathan says it's "Cupid's Song". Yeah.

I've had so much support and wonderful messages from others. It's really cool to feel the spirit of love and empathy from close friends and people I hardly know. That's grace.

Today has been a little easier, because life does go on. The five WildCats (my other ferrets) are noticing Cupid's absence. I found Dave sleeping in Cupid's sock nest last night and George has been there, too, seeming to look for Cupid. George seemed a bit sad this morning, sniffing around and then going flat as if it was just hitting him that his friend has really left.

Dave, who was Cupid's cagemate and BFF, has been very interesting. He seems...peaceful. And, suddenly he is playing and war-dancing more than I've ever seen him do before. It's almost uncharacteristic for him. And I wonder, perhaps Dave feels the peace that Cupid is feeling.

I don't know. Maybe I'm reaching. But ferrets can be quite intense and feeling little creatures. And I believe animals are intuitive around the unseen and spiritual.

The cage that Cupid lived in for the last month now stands stark and empty. I suddenly have more time again. No more multiple feedings and medication times. No more extra laundry on top of the already circulating pile. No more nights of just sitting there, watching, crying, praying.

It's done. Now our lives with ferrets returns to more of a "normal" (uh, yeah...) state. My blogs won't be monopolized with Cupid and his illness and my fears. Now I can write more about the ordinary, the mundane, the silliness, the tearing out of my hair because the lamp got knocked down again.

There are probably a couple more posts about Cupid. We bury him on Sunday and I will write about that. I will miss him and have waves of grief and I will write about that, too. But, soon I can move on and give the other five guys a chance in the Blog Spotlight.

BUTTERFLY COCOONS AND SPRING FLOWERS

Another meltdown on Saturday evening. Cupid is being braver than me. Now we are having to go to the "second level" of syringe feeding. Just a couple of days ago, Sensei was freely taking his soup from the syringe and I even teased him that he was getting spoiled. Now I have to push the food. Dana taught me how to do it and it isn't a cruel process or anything. It's just that I have to scruff him and put him in a football hold. It's me, being more of an assertive, "Eat-Your-Meat-Or-You-Can't-Have-Any-Pudding" ferret mom. He's taken in one and 3/4 of a syringe so far today (about 20 cc's), so that's good.

He's back to not drinking water on his own, either, so I'm having to give him Pedialyte and water with a dropper. He's so weak, he can barely get himself to his potty pad.

We are trying to make his life as comfortable as possible. He gets gentle hold times and walks (we walk, he gets carried) outside to see the Spring flowers and butterfly cocoons. We talk to him and tell him it's OK for him to go. I sense that he is being pulled between two worlds, now. I imagine that he dreams of the Rainbow Bridge.

When I hold him to feed him, Cupid and I are face-to-face. His little eyes, dark ruby, are filled with soulfulness. There is definitely a connection. He has the longest canines I've ever seen in a ferret. The tip of one of them broke off the first week I had him! This gives him character, I think.

Today I took Cupid's footprints and I think he was afraid I was trying to poke him for a glucose! I'm sure he thought I was crazy...

In other ferret news:

Whoo Hoo! We went outside this morning - a beautiful day - and played in the playpen (they played, I watched). Rocky's coat continues to change and he now has this awesome stripe-thing on the base of his tail. Must get a pic.

I went to the rescue yesterday and took some photos of a calendar I'm going to put together to help raise money. I always love going there! There are ferret fanatics (like me), and I am learing so much from them. Of course, there are lots of adorable ferrets to love on! Always, when I get home, my guys sniff me and look at me like, "Mommy! Were you cheatin' on us??!!"

One of my guys got into my mom's purse last night and stole her sunglasses. She thought that was great!

Blogging makes me sleepy. Time to go do Duck Soup. More to come....

AIRING OUT THE BUSINESS

The days have been so pretty. We had the guys out in the playpen for a little while this evening. (now they all smell "Outdoor Fresh"!!) Cupid began to shiver, so I wrapped him up in his blanket and held him. I think he likes being out in the fresh air, but he makes it known when he is ready to go back in. And it doesn't take much to wear him out, so we try to honor his needs.

The other five were so frisky tonight. Happy to see us come home from work, they ran in circles, bounced around, wrestled, attacked the guitar. George, one of my climbers, managed to get on top of the tallest dresser and knock some photos down. Rocky kept running under my feet and tripping me; then he'd war dance me. He smiled at Keith, as in:

That Rocky. He's such a mess !

Well, that's all the news here at Super Happy Ferret Funland ! Time to go feed Cupid "Bones" McPoo.

HOW I FELL IN LOVE

This is Rocky (aka, Rocky Mamoo, Mamoo, Mamoozle, Rock Star, Barn Owl). He was my first ferret and will be turning two years old this coming Wednesday.

I'd never met a ferret until I was introduced to Delilah, my son and daughter-in-law's ferret. Something happened when they handed her to me -- it was as if I'd found my Spirit Animal ! I fell in love and did not want to let her go. It took some convincing, but my husband finally agreed to letting me get my own ferret.

I did a lot of reading and research about ferrets before I actually bought one. I bought the book, Ferrets for Dummies and read it cover to cover. Then I bought the cage and set it up.

I'd been looking at the ferrets at Petco (note: this is before I knew anything about rescued ferrets) and there was a certain one who I really seemed to connect with. I visited him a couple of times (only through the glass, though - they wouldn't let me hold him yet) and chatted with the Petco folks about ferrets. Finally, the day came when I was ready to bring him home. Thankfully, my little friend was still there.

I pointed Rocky out and told the guy he was the one. He took Rocky out of the tank, along with another ferret he thought I should look at, too. Rocky literally reached for me. It was the coolest thing. We both knew he was meant to come home with me!

I have never experienced a love for a pet like the love Rocky and I share. He is my sidekick, my muse, my best buddy. He speaks to me through his eyes and expressions. He can be silly, mellow, wild, contemplative. He is very smart and is a master at climbing and jumping. It's both amazing and frightening. Rocky taught us the rules of ferret-proofing, for sure. My poor husband had to build barriers and fashion blockades around appliances. Knick-knacks and candles became a no-no. Rocky taught me what happens between a ferret and a vase of flowers on the table (the ferret wins) !

Rocky can roll over, stand and (sort of) jump through a hoop. Favorite treats? N-bones, Foamy Fries, raisin Bandits and these things we call "crunchies". Oh, and Ferratone and Duck Soup. Rocky loves blanket fights and rides, running the tunnels and climbing. He's very gentle and has never bitten. He is Alpha to the rest of the business and is a wonderful friend and teacher to them all.

I sometimes call Rocky my little barn owl, because of the coloring and alert expression on his face. All I have to do is fluff the hair up on the top of his head and, ta-da, he becomes Barn Owl. He is a beautiful Siamese point sable. During the winter, his coat becomes cream-colored with black-brown legs, tail, mask and tips. As he sheds his winter coat, a black saddle appears on his back.

See the resemblance? :)

Rock Star was an only ferret for about ten months...and then I got Ziggy. A few months later, Cupid and Dave moved in. A couple of months after that George found me. And, of course, most recently, little Milo Mouse. (They call it "Ferret Math" and there is no cure) Each are unique and I have a special relationship with each one. Rocky will always be my first, however, and will always have that number one space in my heart.

Happy Birthday, Little One!