Since I am using a different journal these days, I am closing this journal due to non-use.  The main reason I changed journals is because I had grown to dislike the underscore/dash in my username.  If you are still interested in reading my infrequent tirades and comments, go on over to dv8nekomimi and friend me.  This account becomes a "basic" unpaid for accound in 5 days and I will probably delete it in about a month.

Happy Chinese New Year! Enter the year of the Rat.

We were called at 2pm today that Angel's remains were back. I went down and picked them up. Now the container sits on the Fireplace mantle next to Slinky's container.

Sometime this morning between 2:50am and 5:30am, my little female ferret named Angel passed away from what we believe to be lymphoma. Now she has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge to be able to play with Slinky. I am sure they will have much fun there while they wait for me. I delivered her body to the vet for cremation at lunch.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a very pleasant holiday. Now to make it through to Christmas.

I was called yesterday by the animal hospital, who told me that they had gotten Slinky's remains back. So, after work I went by and picked them up. The box we bought for it is VERY nice, and even Darling is happy with it. Right now it is on our fake fireplace until we find a better location for it.

After much deliberating, I have decided to go to Nekocon X. It helps that a friend of mine will be driving down to go with me. We are only going to attend on Saturday, but hopefully get to be at the Dance and see some fun.

I am finally able to try to post something about this.

Yesterday afternoon one of my ferrets passed away. He was a very sweet little cream colored guy we called "Slinky". His disposition was the best you could hope for in a ferret or pretty much any other animal. Curious, friendly, playful, yet relaxed enough that he would let you hold him and pet him.

We found him Friday night lying at the bottom of his cage. At first I though he had caught a cold or was having an adverse reaction to us switching them from pine bedding to kitty litter. I had not played with him in a few days as he was primarily my oldest daughters pet, so I was quite surprised to find he has lost more than half his body weight. We spent all weekend trying to nurse him with cups of water and a mash made from the ferret food and warm water. He improved a little bit, but not enough, so Monday afternoon I took him to the vet to be checked. After an exam and x-rays, the vet told me that Slinky had a large tumor in his stomach area. Even if we had opted for surgery, the vet was not optimistic on his quality of life or survival. We decided to have him put to sleep and scheduled it to happen on Wednesday (today) so that we could say our goodbyes and the kids could see him. Monday night, he drank a lot of water and slurped up a lot of broth from the mash, so I felt confident. But Tuesday morning he would not drink or eat at all. I was worried then, but when I got home at noon for lunch, I knew it was pretty much over. He was moving around in his cage trying to get comfortable, he didn't seem to be able to see. I took him out and cleaned the poop off of him, and laid him on a towel to rest on the floor. Darling (my significant other) was doing some stuff around the house so I left to get my oldest daughter from school. I dropped her off to watch over him and I headed back to work to arrange to take the rest of the day off so I could take Slinky back to the vet. As I was pulling into the parking lot at work, I got a call from my daughter that Slinky has passed away. I returned home immediately and gathered up the family so we could take Slinky down to the vet. We said our last good-byes, and gave him to them to send off to be cremated, his ashes to be returned to us. We will get them in 7 to 10 days.

The tears have started again. I have the same heartache from losing this little guy that I had when my father passed away. I didn't realize until too late how attached to him I was. He is at peace now and out playing at the Rainbow Bridge, waiting until it is my time to join him. I look forward to that day.