Stuart wandered into my office and my heart one sunny afternoon in April of 2001.
He was a scruffy, white, and very cute two year old deaf ferret. He was looking for a home and someone to love him and he came to the right place. I tried for about a week to find his humans but without success. I was so happy that he was going to stay with me and looking back on it I honestly believe he was happy too.
There was something really special about Stuart. I had Cats and Dogs in the past, and I loved them, but somehow Stuart was different. Over the next two years I learned just how different he was. Stuart shortly became my very best friend. We went everywhere together. We went to my office every day; he would explore while I would open the mail and do office things. We would walk down the halls and once in a while he would leave a message at my neighbor’s doors. We would go for walks in the forest preserves, weather permitting. The first time I brought Stuart out in the snow he dove in head first and didn’t want to come back to the house. He burrowed and jumped in the snow. He ate the snow. He rolled in the snow. He had such a wonderful time.
During those first weeks I fell completely in love with this gentle little creature. He taught me so much about ferrets, myself, love, and later on, grief. He adopted me.
Within two months he got sick and needed to have his spleen removed. He spent two days in the veterinary hospital. When I picked him up the vet said he wasn’t eating well and to hand feed him. I feed him every three hours around the clock. He would only eat the soupy mixture from my hand. Within a week he was back to his adorable old self. I was so happy.
There were times when we looked at each other that I really felt he was saying thank you.
Stuart’s intelligence constantly amazed me. One example was that when he was in his pet taxi and had to relieve himself, he would scratch at the door then turn around with his back toward me and raise his tail. I knew this meant stop the van and let me out before I make a mess.
Stuart and I spent three to four hours together every single day for two years. I got up religiously at 6:00 A.M. every day for those two plus years. The reason was because that’s when Stuart got up. Before Stuart, I wouldn’t get out of bed before 8:00 A.M. for love nor money.
Stuart loved to play with socks and shoes. He tried to teach me how to organize my dresser drawers. I would put him in a dresser drawer and within minutes he would move about half of the contents behind the drawer, the things that didn’t belong he would hide.
Stuart had several small stuffed animals in his house ( cage ), often I would find kibbles near, on and under the animals. He was trying to feed them.
Stuart loved every one he met, he never bit anyone. He was so much like a little person with the most wonderful, happy, and innocent personality.
Before the end of his life a mass started growing near his heart, his lymph nodes were swelling, and he came down with serious liver disease. He had been on strong medication for about two weeks. Saturday morning June the 7, 2003 I went to get him up. He was very weak and sick. I rushed him to the vet. His vet said that we would need to treat him very aggressively. That meant powerful drugs administered intravenously, chemotherapy, and many invasive tests. I couldn’t put my little friend through that especially when his chances of survival were slim.
Stuart was put to rest that morning at about 9 O’clock.
Stuart is buried at Elm Lawn Pet Cemetery in Elmhurst Illinois. His head stone reads “MY LITTLE FRIEND FOREVER” and I mean it. I know that someday we will be together again and that will be the happiest event I can imagine.
Stuart, I will indeed love you forever and never forget the short but wonderful time we spent together. GOD bless your precious little soul.
MY LITTLE FRIEND FOREVER,
| Stuart |
| 7, June 2003 |
| Richard Gill |