August 28,2007 my husband and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary, and after a beautiful day had to burry our beloved ferret Tess, who we had with us for the past 8 years. 

I knew this day would come eventually, but did not imagine that I would feel so sad.  It's true, Tess had a long wonderful life, but I just was not ready to say good bye.  The average life expectancy for a ferret us between 6 and 10 years with the vast majority only making it to 6.  I read about one ferret that made it to 15, but that is extremely rare.  So I guess I should be thankful for her 8 years, and that she lived longer than the average.  It's difficult when they have been with you for so long, and suddenly they are not.

Tess was just a few months old when my husband and I got her.  My husband always wanted a ferret, and we had been looking around at pet stores for one for awhile.  One day while just casually looking around at the ferrets in the pet store, we found the perfect little ferret, Tess.  She took right to us, and we knew right away she was the one.  Tess fit right into our family, and got along well with the kids, and our dogs.  Tess was very docile, and would only nibble on you when she was playing, like chasing you down the hall trying to take your socks off, or burring under the covers in bed, and pouncing on your feet!  After she was done tickling your feet, Tess would run to the top of the bed onto our pillows, and lick our faces, especially right by our eyes, I guess it was the salt....  We could only take it so long then burst out laughing, because it tickled so much!  Another thing Tess loved was potatoes, yeap potatoes!  She was always sneaking into the pantry and stealing them.  I remember something started stinking over by the couch....  Tess had made a little home in the couch, where she had been stashing the stolen potatoes, insoles from our shoes, keys, socks, halloween candy, small toys, my friends wallet.  You name it, it was in Tess's layer( under the couch cushions).  The smell was a rotten potato!  After that we learned to check her layer when something came up missing, and every so often for fermenting potatoes.  Tess was such a sweet ferret, she was always making everyone in our family happy.  Even in her old age she was always playing, and doing cute things to get her a treat. 

About 6 months ago we noticed that Tess was losing her hair.  She was still acting like her playful self, but I took her to the vet to get checked out anyway.  The vet told us that she had adrenal glad disease.  Apparently adrenal glad disease is very common in American ferrets, and they usually develop it around age 2.  We had a couple of options, first to try medication, and then if that didn't work surgery.  The surgery was to take out one of her adrenal glands, the affected one.  There was; however, no guarantee that the other gland would not be or eventually have the disease.  I guess ferrets tolerate the surgery quite well, but I was nervous about it, because she was already 7 years old.  The vet agreed and told us that it was quite amazing that she had lived so long without being affected by the disease.  We did try the medication, which Tess hated to take, and it didn't seem to be helping, and Tess eventually lost all of her hair.  She looked so funny bald!  I felt bad for her, but she didn't seem to be bother too much, other than being a bit itchy.  I just kept cream on her, and all was well.  On the day that Tess died, was actually the first time I saw her not herself.  It was very sad, seeing her looking so tired, and not wanting to play, or eat her favorite yogurt treats.  All she wanted to do was snuggle up in her blanket, and go to sleep.  My husband and I sort of knew that her remaning time with us might be over soon, and we both held her and loved on her, then put her in her little bed, and let her sleep.  Later that afternoon, she had gone. 

 Tess enjoying balloons!

I really want to play A Letter-a-Day, but I don't have an "A" at this time,  maybe I will make it up at the end.  For now I am going to start with "B".

My son helped me with these.  I counted to three and my son bounced the balls.  Yes, it took a few times to get a picture of the balls and not just the wall.  I know it sounds silly but we had fun.