A few years ago I was looking around online, and I found a ferret shelter, who had a little panda, a champagne, both with scarlet eyes and a darling little sable, up for adoption.... I talked to my family and we ended up adopting all of them.  My parents took the little champagne and my brother took the little Sable.  When I brought the little Panda home, he was a TERROR! I couldn't handle him with out him biting me.... I had scars and cuts all along my arms and hands.  I 'fought'  with him for months, I was calling him Piranha-Boy, and threatening to take him back. I had him for about 6 months before Raven moved in and all of a sudden he became an angel, who loved to be cuddled (by Raven at least), and carried around. He was a big boy too, almost 5 pounds, and since he looked like a little white boy in a dark suit, he became Cracker (instead of Piranha).  We can only figure he wasn't well loved before I got a hold of him,  and I know he was half starved, and when Raven moved in, and he saw no one was going to hurt him, and there was always going to be food, he decided this isn't such a bad place to live. that, and I know he and Raven had a special bond. He'd pick on the dogs on command, and go after my feet, and he'd even come when Raven called him. But his big thing was Socks.  No Sock was safe, even ones that were being worn! If there was a sock to be had, he'd find it!!
         A week before Yule,  of 2000, we noticed he was loosing weight, but he was happy, and very playful, and he was eating fine. However, the day after Yule, we noticed he was having a hard time walking.  We immediately called the vet, and took him in.  The diagnosis was heart breaking. He had large tumors on his liver and spleen. the Vet said that if it was only his spleen, there was a chance he'd survive, but it was on his liver as well.  She suggested we just give him plenty of love, and keep an eye on him, since there was nothing she could honestly do.  He was fine that evening, and the next day, but that evening we noticed that he couldn't walk more than a few steps, and it seemed to hurt if any of the other ferrets bumped him.  After a long discussion, we decided it was best for him if we had him put to sleep.  It was one of the hardest choices Raven and I had to make, But he was in such obvious pain, that we couldn't watch him suffer.  The following morning, we took him back to the vet, and after a long, heart rending moment, said our last farewell to an honored member of our family

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