Post by mjbez on Jan 28, 2015 21:06:13 GMT -5
It is with heavy heart that I write this tribute. Mika was my second ferret and my first ferret to pass. I will try to make sense through my tears...
I purchased Mika almost 6 years ago. She was the last one left of a litter of ferrets. She was already almost full size. I took Kyra to find another ferret, as I felt she should pick. Kyra picked no one. However, Mika picked Kyra. She was instantly trying to stick to her side and hold onto her when Kyra tried to get out of the pen they were interacting in. So I brought Mika home.
It took one day for me to call my bf crying, saying I had made a mistake. Mika turned out to be a very hard biter. Seeking to draw blood and would latch on for what felt like minutes. We had a rough start. But after a few months the bites became further and fewer between. She wanted to play her version of "hide and seek" where she would hide and wait for an unsuspecting hand or foot to come near so she could bite! She was such a stinker. As she got a bit older she did calm down a lot. She was not an overly active ferret in general. She would play hard and then would be content watching the fun and sneaking in the odd war dance. Mika was my most accepting ferret, ironically, considering her biting and dominance issues. She was the peacekeeper in my business. She seemed to love everyone and everyone loved her. She also became quite the cuddle bug. Once I learned to trust her she would enjoy giving my face kisses and absolutely loved back/neck scritches. She truly became my sweet girl, but if she didn't like something she had no problem letting you know. She really had a diva personality.
About 3.5 years ago Mika was diagnosed with adrenal. I had her implanted immediately. She never lost her coat but developed really itchy skin at times. Thankfully, she always enjoyed warm oatmeal soaks. Almost 2 years after diagnosed with adrenal Mika developed a squamous cell carcinoma on her belly. She had surgery to remove the cancer. She continued to be her normal self.
In the last 6 months or so Mika's energy had slowly declined. It was a hard thing to assess, as being free roam in their own room none of my ferrets have the crazy spurts of energy they once did. But over time, Mika's muscles started to waste down. She wasn't interested in play. She slept more.
I had a scare with her about 1.5 weeks ago. I thought she was dying. However, there was a cold going around my ferret room, as two others developed less severe lethargy/ eye crusties etc. Mika perked up after a couple of days. Then on about Monday she was weak again. I took time to feed and ensure she had lots to drink a few times a day. She got lots and lots of cuddles. On Tuesday night she refused food completely. Monday I had syringed some food. Tuesday night she wretched and heaved when I tried. Yesterday I had to work and thought I would start calling vets to see if I could get her in that night. When I got home yesterday I saw my sweet girl, exhausted on a puppy pad. Her tail was bottle brushed. I immediately ran to her and picked her up. She had gotten messy so I was going to clean her up. She soiled herself on my way to clean her. I knew. I called my best friend to come and I sat in the ferret room and held my girl as she passed. I had about an hour from the time I found her. She didn't appear to have pain. I felt she waited for me. I held her on my chest and pet and told her what a good girl she was. We looked at each other the entire time. At 5:15 she took her last breath. It was the most heartbreaking moment, and one I will never forget. DIP my Meeky moo.
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I purchased Mika almost 6 years ago. She was the last one left of a litter of ferrets. She was already almost full size. I took Kyra to find another ferret, as I felt she should pick. Kyra picked no one. However, Mika picked Kyra. She was instantly trying to stick to her side and hold onto her when Kyra tried to get out of the pen they were interacting in. So I brought Mika home.
It took one day for me to call my bf crying, saying I had made a mistake. Mika turned out to be a very hard biter. Seeking to draw blood and would latch on for what felt like minutes. We had a rough start. But after a few months the bites became further and fewer between. She wanted to play her version of "hide and seek" where she would hide and wait for an unsuspecting hand or foot to come near so she could bite! She was such a stinker. As she got a bit older she did calm down a lot. She was not an overly active ferret in general. She would play hard and then would be content watching the fun and sneaking in the odd war dance. Mika was my most accepting ferret, ironically, considering her biting and dominance issues. She was the peacekeeper in my business. She seemed to love everyone and everyone loved her. She also became quite the cuddle bug. Once I learned to trust her she would enjoy giving my face kisses and absolutely loved back/neck scritches. She truly became my sweet girl, but if she didn't like something she had no problem letting you know. She really had a diva personality.
About 3.5 years ago Mika was diagnosed with adrenal. I had her implanted immediately. She never lost her coat but developed really itchy skin at times. Thankfully, she always enjoyed warm oatmeal soaks. Almost 2 years after diagnosed with adrenal Mika developed a squamous cell carcinoma on her belly. She had surgery to remove the cancer. She continued to be her normal self.
In the last 6 months or so Mika's energy had slowly declined. It was a hard thing to assess, as being free roam in their own room none of my ferrets have the crazy spurts of energy they once did. But over time, Mika's muscles started to waste down. She wasn't interested in play. She slept more.
I had a scare with her about 1.5 weeks ago. I thought she was dying. However, there was a cold going around my ferret room, as two others developed less severe lethargy/ eye crusties etc. Mika perked up after a couple of days. Then on about Monday she was weak again. I took time to feed and ensure she had lots to drink a few times a day. She got lots and lots of cuddles. On Tuesday night she refused food completely. Monday I had syringed some food. Tuesday night she wretched and heaved when I tried. Yesterday I had to work and thought I would start calling vets to see if I could get her in that night. When I got home yesterday I saw my sweet girl, exhausted on a puppy pad. Her tail was bottle brushed. I immediately ran to her and picked her up. She had gotten messy so I was going to clean her up. She soiled herself on my way to clean her. I knew. I called my best friend to come and I sat in the ferret room and held my girl as she passed. I had about an hour from the time I found her. She didn't appear to have pain. I felt she waited for me. I held her on my chest and pet and told her what a good girl she was. We looked at each other the entire time. At 5:15 she took her last breath. It was the most heartbreaking moment, and one I will never forget. DIP my Meeky moo.
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DIP 
