Pogo & Casper

Pogo Ferret 5/24/07 – 9/27/12

Prayers from my friends got him through the night with a head lift in the morning. However, no prayer could fix his problem. Pogo had a good size tumor near his stomach, so I made the hardest decision we have to make as animal caregivers – I put him to sleep. He didn’t eat anything yesterday and if you know ferrets, they have to eat because of their short digestive tract or perish. He was very spry this morning going over the mountain into Vermont, digging at the carrier door, driving me crazy. Pansy stayed with him all night and she came with us, too. She really loved the guy and she’ll be so lonely now, as mom and I. Thanks to Sarah Lacroix and Melissa Wicks for being at Pogo’s side with me and Dr. Suzy of West Mountain Animal Hospital who not only is a good vet but a great vet and human being. I love these guys.

Pogo and Casper were adopted March 21, 2008 from the Hudson Valley Ferret Rescue in Waldon, NY. Casper was 2 years old and Pogo was 10 months old at the time. Casper, I supposed was called because he was all white and the friendliest ferret. Pogo’s name was Odd Ball but I quickly changed it to reflect his personality. He liked to hop all over the place…hence his name Pogo.

Casper Ferret 3/21/06 – 10/31/10

He began losing fur in April 2010 with a lack of energy and at times in and out of the litter pan trying to urinate. We put him on hormones in June which gave him more energy. By August we believed him to have Cushings Disease & by October a pituitary gland disorder. On the spur of the moment I purchased Pansy from a pet shop as companion for the boys. So, if Casper didn’t make it, Pogo would not be lonely. She adored both boys. Another medication made him seem back to normal with the exception of hair loss but he crashed on October 31st. He had difficulty urinating and was in distress. An ultrasound showed a lesion on his liver and his blood sugar level was extremely low. The prognosis wasn’t good and the decision was to euthanize.

These guys were my first animal ambassadors. They were the funniest and friendliest animals. They chased each other all over the porch, in and out of tubs, buckets and boxes. Casper would ride your shoulders or just lay out flat in your arms. The kids loved him. Casper also dragged our shoes around the house. Even when he became weak, he would still attempt to drag them. Pogo on the other hand, would lick your arm and then nip you! So, he did not get held by the children as I was paranoid that he would give them a love nip. However, he always came along on lectures with Casper for company.

If you notice in the photos, Pogo lost all his dark silver coloring as he aged. I’m sure Casper was darker too when he was young. We sure do miss them both.