Custom Angelic Pherret
It was not I who picked her,But she who picked me.
Hamsters, rats, guinea pigs; they were all there. All cute and cuddly. Yet they didn’t really catch my eye. But the ferrets did.
My parents always told me stories of the previous three ferrets they had owned. They had enjoyed them quite a lot, but when I was two, they had to give them away because, well, let's just say my fingers were trying to meet the ferrets' teeth. But I was 14, nearly 15, at this time, and since all my other attempts at pets had been failures; maybe this time would be different.
I remember playing with the ferrets and one in particular stood out. A sweet, little, white-knee-capped, freckle-necked girl who loved to be held and play in my hair. At the end of the outing, I was sad to put her back in the pen. But it wouldn’t be our last meeting. Thankfully, the next night, my dad needed to return again (it seems his first attempts at a saltwater fish aquarium required frequent visits to the pet store), and this time, mom came along too. We fully intended to visit the ferrets.
When we walked in, she was the only one awake. The little girl followed us around the circular pen as we walked, prancing over all the other ferrets that were in the way. She was determined that we would play with her. Again, she was the sweetest thing ever, and after being forced to leave the store again without her, I became determined as well.
By the time we had gotten back home, I had already named her Feona.
Finally, I convinced my parents to go back for a third visit. After seeing those sweet brown eyes and cute white knee caps for a third time, I put my foot down. I was not leaving the store again without her. She curled up in my hair and I insisted that if it meant my spending my own money to buy her ($140!), I would. She was coming home with us.
My mom took little convincing. My dad took a lot.
But when we left that store, I had Feona wrapped in my arms. I had bought her, while my mom bought all the other ferret necessities. And I was eager to finally have a real pet.
But she turned out to be so much more than that.
Feona was amazing to everyone she met. She was so sweet. She never tried to bite you. She loved to cuddle (though only with me, her ‘mommy’). She loved to chase people around and make them ‘scream' (though we were only pretending, and she knew it). She had her little toys that she had mostly stolen from purses and drawers when we weren’t looking. It was her favorite pastime to move them from one place in the house to another. You’d know she was moving them when you heard the clinking of some keychains that she had stolen or a squeak from a dropped hamburger shaped squeaky toy.
Oh the stories I could tell of her antics could fill a book. But every page would make you laugh. She was just a blast to have. For your sake, I’ll just tell a few of her little quirks and habits to you.
Alarm Clock - Corn Cobbing
I didn’t need one on the weekends, because Feona did the job quite well. When my mom awoke, often far before I ever planned to budge from bed, she would go grab Feona from her cage and then gently toss her in my bed. Feona would immediately head for my face and begin licking it all over. Sometimes she treated me like the baby, I swear, since she was obviously grooming me. Well, when that didn’t awaken me, which it did, but I was often too stubborn to get up right away, she would crawl under the covers and head for my legs. She would then start nibbling on my calves, working down to my ankles. Not really biting, but just, well, ever seen someone eating a corn cob from one end to the other? Yeah, that’s what it looked like. She would do this a few times and then move back to my face for more licking.
Now, by now I am fully awake, but determined to go back to bed, so I would place her back on the ground. My mom would watch the whole time, laughing till she fell over, but both of them would leave after a few minutes. BUT, if I didn’t get up after that, Feona would come back in my room, climb up in my bed, and do it all over again; as many as three times in one morning. She wanted Mommy out of bed.
The Bat Cave
My house has two stories. Obviously, this means we have a staircase, but it is broken into two levels. Between the two levels are two platforms where my mom has some decorations, one of which being an old basket with potpourri in it. Well, let’s just say that Feona found potpourri to be especially fun to roll around in, so she often would tip the basket over and roll in the mess.
Well, when I would go to clean it up, she would get between the basket and the side to the second level platform and wait for me. As soon as I got close enough, she would slide out on her back, open her mouth, and shake her head ferociously. Her eyes would be closed and she wouldn’t even be able to see if she was anywhere close to attacking you, but she would just act like she was ‘big, bad, and tough’. She reminded me of a little bat, so we called it ‘The Bat Cave’. During play time, she got into the habit of running up there and waiting for us to pass by so she could pounce on our feet.
Dixie Drinks
After playing a lot, anyone would get thirsty, right? Well, Feona was no exception to this, so, one time, when she was huffing and puffing like she was thirsty, my mom took one of those little Dixie Paper Cups that you keep by the sink for brushing your teeth, and she filled it with water for Feona.Bad idea, because all it took was one time to spoil her.
After that, whenever Feona was thirsty, she would run to the bathroom and pout right in front of the door. She would lay down on her stomach, laying in a straight line (also called, ‘Speed Bumping’, because she resembled one so much), and she would pout. And she would lay there for up to a half hour waiting for someone to get her a drink. So, one of us, either my mom or I usually, would get up, get a cup, fill it to the brim with water, and place Feona on our arm while we held her and the drink. She often would splash the water on our hands and chest to lick it off (I guess she liked the saltiness), and of course, to make a mess. Then, I would ask her, ‘Are you done?’, and when she was, she would lift her head and neck up. I would pour out the water and have to walk over to a towel then. She would keep her neck lifted so I could wipe the water off. THEN she was done, happy, and would run off to do whatever it was she had planned. SO SPOILED.
Cantaloupe
My mom says that their first ferret, Fred, absolutely loved the stuff. I say that Feona must have loved it more. First it was given to her as a small treat; then it became an every meal kind of thing. If you didn’t give it to her, she would steal it off your plate. Literally, she once climbed up on the couch, into my mom’s lap, and pulled cantaloupe off of her plate while she was watching TV. She loved the stuff. She would take some and place it with her ‘babies’ or the toys she moved around the house. It was like she was feeding them. She wouldn’t even always eat it, but she just HAD to have the cantaloupe. If not, she would pout in front of the refrigerator until you gave her some.
The Rubber Chicken
My mom and I were helping at a dog show my school was hosting as a fundraiser when we saw a dog toy that was just too funny. It was a miniature rubber chicken that squeaked. The thing had to be just an inch or two smaller than Feona, but it was the funniest thing, and we had to buy it for her. So, we did.And then it became her favorite toy.
You could move her other toys, and though she would get miffed, she didn’t care TOO much. But move her rubber chicken, and be prepared to die! We would squeak it to get her out of places that we couldn’t reach, and she would come-a-running to get it. Then she would put it back in its place, glare at us for moving it, and then we could put her in the cage.
I remember one time, my mom was laying on the floor in my room, where the toys were all currently placed, and Feona walked in. For fun, my mom grabbed the chicken and squeaked it. Feona gave her a ‘you fool’ look, TOOK the chicken from my mom’s hand and moved it JUST outside of her reach. Unperturbed, my mom moved close enough to grab it and squeak it again. Needless to say, Feona didn’t like that! ^^; She glared at my mom, took the chicken away AGAIN, and this time, moved it around the corner of my bookcase so my mom could not even see it! It was so cute!
Since it was her favorite toy, it had to be her minion here as well.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end...
Feona was 5 and a half years old when it came time for me to move away for college. Feona was my little girl, and she didn’t want to see me go. Even when I just went away for the weekend, she would get depressed. She could care less if my parents were gone, but I HAD to stay, or she would be totally depressed. Unfortunately, my dorm was really small, and I felt bad with the idea of taking her with me. So I left her with my mom and dad (which was also meant to help my mom deal with my moving away). Immediately she became depressed. She only really seemed happy when I came home on the weekends, and the rare few times that she was distracted enough by my parents. I loved her so much that I would come visit her often. Sadly, around Thanksgiving she really seemed to take a turn for the worse. She was born in December, and when I came back home for the winter break, we decided to take her into the doctor again. She was just 6 years old.
The doctor said she had a bad heart. It was a birth defect, but it only just now was revealing itself. Along with the bad heart, it was causing some fluid to build in her chest, so she couldn’t breathe. We had the doctor remove the fluid and give her pills to help her heart. It was only a temporary fix that, if it worked, would only give her a few more months.
My mom and I were terribly upset, and spent the next week spending as much time with her as we could. We had another vet appointment for a follow-up and we were praying that she would be better.Sadly, while the pills had helped her heart, the fluid was back even more, and not going away. To keep her from suffering, we had to put her down.
It was New Years Eve when we had to say our final goodbyes.
But I think she knew it was coming, because in the lobby of the vet’s office, she again cuddled up in my hair, something she hadn’t done in ages, just like she did the day we first met. It was a ‘full circle’ kind of thing.
Feona died, literally, of a broken heart.
We buried her in the garden with her rubber chicken, so they could never be far apart. I missed her so dearly that I decided to make a memorial for her in the form of this pet. I already had a Subeta pet that was somewhat named after her (Feonaria). So that day, I spent the money to change her name to Feona and make her an angel.
Now nearly six years later, I still tear up when I think of her. She was like my child. After a year and a half, I got another ferret, Frankie, but I consider him to be Feona’s little brother. Feona will always hold a special place in my heart, and I know that someday, we will be reunited.
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The Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven lies the Rainbow Bridge.
When a beloved pet dies, it goes to the Rainbow bridge. It makes friends with other animals and frolics over rolling hills and peaceful lush meadows of green. They are as healthy and playful as we remember them in days gone by.
Together, the animals chase and play, but the day comes when a pet will suddenly stop and look into the distance, bright eyes intent, eager body quivering. Suddenly recognizing you, your pet bounds quickly across the green fields and into your embrace. You celebrate in joyous reunion. You will never again separate.
Happy tears and kisses are warm and plentiful, your hands caress the face you missed. You look into the loving eyes of your pet and know that you never really parted. You realize that though out of sight, your love had been remembered.
You cross the Rainbow Bridge together.
~Rainbow Bridge, Author Unknown
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[Fee - Oh - Nah]
~ Spoiled ~ Childish ~ Lazy ~
Perfect Little Angel
Feona’s Pet Treasure
Feona’s treasure is made up of things she would have loved. She often stole key chains and had her own little connection. She loved to chase after squeaky toys or bouncy balls. She had a couple of little plush toys that were her ‘babies’... and plastic bags and bubble wrap were her favorite free play things!
ART REFERENCES
Photo Ref 1
Photo Ref 2
Old Overlay
ART/ANTHRO ART
Feona Sketch by me,
Lexx. - XxXBy
PANTS. - XxXBy
Azaryth. - XxXBy
Plipkat. - XxXBy
Velle. - XxXBy
May.-XxX-By
Freya. -XxX-By
Keshi. -XxX12/31/08 - Name changed from Feonaria to Feona.
12/31/08 - Potioned from a Reborn Pherret to an Angelic Pherret.
Created in Memory of my Ferret, Feona, who passed away on December 31st, 2008.
I LOVE AND MISS YOU SWEETIE.
May.Minion Overlay by,
raichu. Overlay by
Keshi.Profile by, me,
Lexx, with help from Kali.Profile references from here.
Story by me,
Lexx.
Ryxe
