Ms. Ferret - A Ferret Blog: November 2007

When we first met Jebabba, he was probably about 4 to 6 months old. A friend's ex-girlfriend's neightbor found him in the woods in October in Northeastern PA. They were keeping him in a tiny hamster cage with shredded newspaper for bedding and pieces of bread for food. The ex-girlfriend convinced them to give Jebabba to us, and we went over to meet him. He was a tiny thing, an adorable dark brown sable, and I fell in love right away.

We took him home and introduced him to our group. He was accepted fairly quickly, and he latched on to Cheeba first, then Mojo, then Sohpie. He was very playful, and loved to run and jump all the time. He was a whiz at going through the tubes, and he was incredibly fast and agile. I can't remember how many times I would watch him take off across the room like a shot. He loved to dig too, and he was always digging in the dig box, at the carpet, and anything else that entertained him.

Jebabba was kind of a scaredy-ferret. He didn't like change very much, and loud noises scared the heck out of him. Like Rascal, Jebabba absolutely hated the vaccum, so after every time I used it, I would have to go searching for him. He was usually at the highest point in the cage, and I would pull him out and cuddle him against me, soothing him and giving him treats.

He loved going outside, and he was definitely one of those ferrets who had to be on a leash. There were times that, even with the leash, I would have to dive to catch him before he escaped. But he loved rooting in the dirt and war dancing across the grass, so the grass stains and grass I ate was worth it!

As he grew older, he became very sweet. Whenever I would spend time with them in the ferret room, he would lay flat next to me and wait for me to pet him. He liked to give kisses, but only on my arms. He rarely kissed my face. He loved to have his belly tickled, and he would roll around and dook when I did it. Jebabba was definitely a very vocal little guy, and I could always tell when he was in a playful mood by all the noise he made.

Jebabba loved chicken baby food. When Cheeba first started having problems with ulcers, I had to make sure to feed him when Jebabba was asleep, or he would try to eat all of Cheeba's food. Sometimes he would smell it, wake up, and come running out of whatever hidey hole he was sleeping in in search of it.

As he grew older and the other ferrets started to pass away, Jebabba and Bonk grew very close. By the time Cheeba passed away, Jebabba and Bonk were inseparable, and they went everywhere together. After Bonk died, Jebabba seemed to slow down, but there didn't seem to be anything specifically wrong with him. Then, in July of 2007, we did an intestinal biopsy and found out that he had IBD. He had had digestive issues in the past, but his response to medicine seemed to indicate that it was ulcer related. We got him on an IBD diet and he perked up right away.

At the beginning of August, we brought home some new friends for him because it was obvious that he needed some fuzzy companionship. (He was always a ferret's ferret, and human companionship just couldn't compare.) He had a great time running around with them and curling up together for long naps. They couldn't replace Bonk, but he definitely acted less lonely. He stopped looking for his lost friends and enjoyed his new friends.

But Jebabba's time with us was short. On Thursday, September 20, we helped him over the Rainbow Bridge. An autopsy revealed hepatic lipidosis had destroyed his liver. Even with treatment, it would only have prolonged his condition rather than cured it.

I miss him so much, but I would like to think that he thoroughly enjoyed his last couple months here with his new friends. Though I have lost him, I gained four new fuzzy friends who will help me honor and cherish his memory and the memories of all of my lost fuzzies who are gone but will never be forgotten.

Jebabba, I will always remember you, and I'm so thankful that I got the chance to be your mom. You were a very special little ferret.

Baby Jebabba