Happy Sad

Momobella got home on Thursday and it was supreme jubilation. She ran around the living room in a frantic frenzy before even approaching the boys.

The boys were napping, the cage doors were closed.
She stared at the closed door; stood on her back paws and touched the door.
When I finally opened it for her, she climbed in as frantically as she could, her back paws kicking at the air below her.
I gave her bottom a little push and up she went. Off like a rocket, speeding up the ramps into the slumbering part of the cage.
Jack was first because he was closest. She tackled him with vicious and insane kisses.
She licked his ear and licked his face. When he began to wake up (because how can you stay asleep during that?) he gave her kisses back.
When she felt like she had enough of Jack, it was Rudyard's turn (whom we know is her favorite). He was slumbering in the pirate ship hammock, and she stood on her back paws peering into it. Almost as if watching him slumber before deciding he'd had enough of a nap.
Again with the kisses.
Vicious and intense, licks with no chomps. All over his ears and his face.

Momo pulled the boys out of bed and made them interact with her. She was so happy.

Whenever I visited her at the vet's office,  she never gave me such emotion.  It was very much the same interaction I always get with Momobella. Some kisses, definitely chomps, not really playing or interacting with me personally.

This is okay, it doesn't bother me. I understand that a ferret's best mate is another ferret. I knew when I lost Edgar years ago and Rudyard was an only child for a short while that I just couldn't keep up. I couldn't provide the energy or vigor that a ferret needs and thrives from with another ferret.

But nothing proved it more--how important a ferret family is. It's always recommended that when you adopt a weasel, you adopt a pair. I say that its more of a recommendation! It's a must. The best "toy" you could ever get them is someone who can work and play on the same level as them.

I wish I had videotaped their reunion, but there was no way in hell I was going to make Momo wait any longer than she had to.

So now, Momo is on prednisone for the rest of her life. For a few days she has to take a high dose of a liquid form, then we get to go to the pill-crushing, ferret-vite mixture (which she will ultimately enjoy more). I don't know how long I get to keep her.

She's eating food but she's not gaining any weight. She lost weight in the vet's office, but she could've also been depressed. I mean, I sure as hell was and I was only in the vet's office an hour a day.

In the mean time it's tumor city for my rats, who are reaching the ripe age of 2 years come February. I took Bingley to the vet yesterday.  This vet is new and I really like her. She likes explaining what's going on, so in turn I know exactly what's up with Bingley. Or as much as she does.

Bingley's top incisors have "disappeared," meaning they are twisted around and not in the normal place. Because his top incisors are "gone," his bottom ones have nothing to stop them from being ground down. I took him to get his teeth trimmed when we made the discovery. What's worse is that there is a mass at the roof of his mouth. This distortion could be a number of things (trauma, for instance, or an inflamation due to the stabbing of his bottom incisors), but what it most likely is is a tumor.

Rats getting tumors is so commonplace, its rare to hear of a rattie just dying of old age. It's usually, "They are old and they have a tumor."

So Bingley very likely has a tumor in the roof of his mouth. I have to keep an eye on it. Basically, I have to see when his quality of life begins to diminish so I can make The Decision. It's rough and its shitty. It's not what I wanted to hear after bringing MomoBella home.

I really like this vet though (Sycamore Clinic, Dr. Mackey). She took pictures during Bingley's surgical procedure (the trimming of his bottom incisors; he had to go under) and explained to me what was going on. We hypothesized together about what things could be. She's very good with people and very good with animals. During Bingley's physical exam, Bingley was very comfortable with her and she never forced him into to doing anything uncomfortable. Dr. Mackey told me she likes to "go with the flow" in regards to animals. I really like that.

So there we go. Link probably has to go in soon too. He's got some weird dental issues too; I think the messed up teeth is genetic. I heard another rat from the litter was also having teeth problems and needed a trim.