Our darling Podo passed away last night in his sleep.
He had been slowly fading in front of our eyes since Wednesday but wasn't in pain so we decided to let him stay at home without further interference on our part.
It was the best decision for him, he simply fell asleep curled up in his favourite bed and then went over the Bridge to join his brother and partner in crime, Kodo. Fridges will be raided over there tonight!
We "fostered" Podo and his brother, Kodo, for a whole week before Bob surrendered to the inevitable (and carefully planned out by Claire and I) and adopted them as "his Boys".. and we never had a single quiet moment after that. They knew how to riot and were damned good at it! YThey hated other ferrets with a passion and worked as a team to show their dominance. As a tiny kit Missy was unceremoniously taken by the pair (one had her scruff they other her ass) and dumped outside the kitchen door and when they came back inside it was like "job done" was written all over their faces!
When we lost Kodo a couple of years ago we thought Podo would follow soon after (they both had adrenal disease and had about 4 implants over their lifetimes as 'palliative' and highly effective care - Kodo was one of the first in the country to have the implant in this way) but he adapted really well to being a single, totally spoiled, boy and seemed at one point that he was going to live forever - just for spite!
It was because of this stunning pair (Podo won Best in Show at the BFFW in 2008) that we had to put childlocks ON THE FRIDGE (Rosie had already shown us we needed them on the kitchen cabinets) as they truly lived up to my chant of "a pretty face hides a criminal mind"! The never to be forgotten night of the Great Mushroom Raid is held high in ferret legend. Portobello Mushrooms and margerine all over the kitchen floor. Very Fetching. (This was closely followed by the other group competing with the "Day of the Strawberry Punnet" which made the kitchen look like the set of a Quentin Tarantino film).
Blessed Be* my sweet, sweet boy (well you never bit me although you made Dad shed a lot of blood!).. The last of the "originals"....