My "fuzzy" friends are the best in the world. Sadly, some of them are no longer here with me. Their pawprints will forever be on my heart...
I've lost count of how many companions I've shared my life with (over 25 I'm sure) - and didn't always keep records or take photos. I wish I had. They were all so special and important to me, and I'm thankful they chose me.
Here are some of my more recent friends.
Junie was a sweet tabby cat who could purr with the best of them. She was 16 when she died of leukemia on January 19, 1993.
Kelly was my calico cat friend for 24 years. She was with me through some of my darkest days - an ever present source of comfort and continuity. She went everywhere with me. We traveled together often - and we could often be found at a campsite at Lake Somerville together. She suffered from a thyroid tumor, and eventually succumbed to renal failure on December 30, 1996.
Duncan was a rescue ferret. He was a big, sweet boy that we estimated to be about 6 years old when he died of splenic hemorrhage on March 5, 1997.
Missy was one of my foster ferret girls. Her nickname was "sugar bear" - because she gave the best kisses anywhere! She was rescued from being kept outside in a cage in a barn in Caldwell, Texas - so her age is unknown. She was taken by aggressive cancer in December, 1997.
Ferris was the first ferret to own me. She was found by a friend wandering outside an apartment complex. She stole my heart instantly, and I'll never have it all back. She was the grandest of ladies, and a loyal and steadfast friend. She had an unstoppable spirit. I caught her one day trying to drag a watermelon off to her hidey-hole! She was taken in April, 1998 by aggressive cancer - 5 years after she adopted me.
Justice-man was with me for far too short a time. A truly beautiful german shepherd that preferred our attention even over an irresistible treat. He died on January 27, 2000 from complications of a grand maul seizure, which was a product of canine epilepsy.
Binky was my baby. She was truly a people ferret - loving me over _any_ animal (or person). She fought the good fight, having survived 5 surgeries in her first 4 years. She was finally taken on Nov. 18, 2000 as a result of aggressive cancer. My heart will never mend.
Wizard. He was a sweet boy that never got all he deserved. He was a Cheerio fiend and sock thief extraordinaire! I lost him suddenly during diagnostic surgery on March 7, 2001. Discovered during the surgery was a large hemotomic mass around his kidney, advanced liver disease (etiology not yet known) and adrenal tumors.
Prissy was a sweet girl with an amazing spirit. She just didn't know how to give up. The Weasel Waystation picked her up when her and her sister, Missy were discovered being kept in a barn in Caldwell, Texas. I adopted her after she amazingly survived a terrible accident that left her with a cracked skull, both sides of her jaw fractured and only one eye. She bounced back and lived life to it's fullest (but ever after insisted that I mash and warm her food for her *smile*). She had a bilateral adrenalectomy and one of the tumors was found to be malignant. She was eventually taken by aggressive cancer - but not after amazing everyone with her unstoppable will to live. She crossed the rainbow bridge on June 24, 2001. I'll always miss my beautiful girl.
Pepper was a beautiful dark-eyed white ferret with a lot of spunk. She loved to give lots and lots of kisses and terrorize the cats. *grin* She and her sister Willey were left with me to babysit for a "few weeks" in April of 1998. She never left. Pepper had a bilateral adrenalectomy with one tumor being determined to be malignant. She was finally overcome by cancer on February 14, 2002. Memories of her impish antics and "Who, me?" attitude will always make me smile.
Willey was a beautifully sweet silver mitt ferret that loved to kiss my ears and crawl up my pants legs. She and her sister Pepper came to live with me in April of 1998. They were 3 years old. She would do anything for raisins and cheerios, and she didn't think bananas were too bad either! She spent the last year of her life completely blind - but it didn't dampen her spirit - or slow her down. Where most ferrets make a low "dook dook" sound when they weasel wardance - Willey's battle cry was a tiny little "squeak squeak". Liver cancer took her from me on April 8, 2002. Remembering her shy sweetness will always warm my heart.
Buster was the biggest, most lovable orange tabby there ever was. Weighing in at 20 lbs of huggable fur and pur, he always made me laugh with his baby kitten meow. He showed up on my front porch one day with those huge golden eyes and won me over immediately. He loved everybody (human or animal) but was my Welsh Corgi's best bud. The would tumble and play together like puppies. Shadow was his best girlfriend and they could often be found curled up in each others paws. Buster was overtaken by advanced malignant melanoma on January 6, 2005. I will forever ache for his kitty-cat hugs.
Hannah (on the left) was a wonderfully sweet sable girl that didn't know the meaning of "can't". She had a zest for life and an unbreakable spirit, and was ever ready to give ferret-kisses. She came to me after animal control answered a "possum in my dryer vent hose" call. Hannah was tiny in physical size, but her effect on the hearts of those who met her was huge. When Luna joined our family - Hannah made it her personal priority to take care of her. The picture reflects the close bond they had. She was taken from us swiftly, the cause still unknown. I will miss this little one terribly. She was a superferret in every sense of the word.
Luna was always a timid and shy little girl. She came to me on August 15, 2002. Her first love from that moment on was Miss Hannah - and we both grieved when she had to leave us. She loved to run around the house at breakneck speed, and jump and dook and play tag. She was the premier cat stalker! Luna developed an adrenal tumor and lymphosarcoma at an advanced age. Her last days were a struggle. All I could do was hold her close and cry. Her passing was hard and heart-wrenching, and will be something I will never forget. She suddenly began having multiple violent seizures and died with Dr. Lara just a few hours later - on November 10, 2008.
Brenin was my Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He was the best little buddy. He loved to go swimming in the pond and patrol the yard. His favorite place to be was wherever I was. He suffered an L4-5 rupture when he was 6, and lost all use of his back legs. We got him a wheelchair - and he was off to the races again! We got nearly 3 more good years before the spinal disease started to progress rapidly. He died very unexpectedly September 2, 2011. My heart is still broken.
Boo was a sweet little kitty that I lost way too early. She wandered up one day in June of 2011 - thin and hungry - and proceeded to take over. I only had her for 3 months. She died from suspected poisoning on September 29, 2011.
Barn Kitty was a beautiful, sweet recluse. She shared her very private world only with me for nearly 22 years. We would sit in the shed that she claimed as her own when I brought her with me from Bryan, and have long conversations. She lived quietly, and passed away the same way on March 15, 2013. She was so much a part of my life for so many years. I will miss her quiet beauty always.
Sugar was the sweetest and most loyal kitty. She "came with the place" - welcoming me here before I started to build my house in October of 1997. She was truly special. She met me at the gate every day when I came home, jumped up in the truck, and rode with me up to the house. She would go for rides with me in my pedal boat on the pond, and was an ever present companion no matter where I wandered on this place. She was best buddies with Brenin. Her soul is everywhere around here. She developed a thyroid tumor about a year before she died, which we appeared to be managing using medication. She got very sick, very quickly in October of 2013. The Texas A&M Vet School spent several days trying to diagnose what was wrong. She was in heart failure and seemed to be fading fast from a cause unknown. The cause was ultimately found to be hystoplasmosis - but poor Sugar was already to weak to fight it off. She passed away on October 21, 2013. I still look for her everywhere, and I will never forget my beautiful, sweet Sugar. She was truly a very special companion, that I will always miss dearly.
On the day that I said goodbye to my beautiful Kelly after 24 years, a friend fished a way-too-tiny kitten from under a woodpile on what was to be the coldest December night on record in 1996. She brought this bright blue-eyed boy in, and even though my heart was incredibly broken - how could I say no? Oliver became the great overseer of us all. He could just as easily be found curled up tight next to my Corgi Brenin - or hanging out in a hammock with the ferrets. We had many adventures - including having to call the local State Park Ranger out to help get him out of a 50' tree overhanging the creek! He became a big, beautiful white boy with grey seal points and stunning, ice blue eyes - and a tiny squeak of a meow that belied his physical stature. It always made me laugh to hear him. He followed me all over this 15 acres, and was Sugar's best friend. He lost his vision - and was completely blind the last few years of his life, but we adapted. I would mow trails instead of the whole yard so he could get some exercise when we walked and have some guidance. His decline seemed so fast near the end - but we were fortunate that he passed peacefully here at home on September 3, 2014. Oliver was a constant companion - ever wanting to be near wherever I was and share his purrs. I will miss him so.
As I waited in line at the county dump on typical Saturday back in 2000 - I saw a man circling a truck filled to overflowing with trash with a very perplexed look on his face. Eventually I watched him reach between the slats of the truck and pull this tiny ball of fur out from under that massive trash pile. He stood holding it at arms length - not quite knowing what to think. I was out of my truck and on him in a second. He was all too happy to hand this tiny kitten over to me - and I was all too happy to gather her up. How she survived that ride I will never know - but I am so happy she did. She was a tiny calico manx who just barely had her teeth. She latched on to my shoulder and cuddled up to my neck - and didn't let go for 20 years. She had many names - with Miki being her actual name. But to me - she was always either Baby Girl or Tootsie. She never cared for any other person or animal. She just wanted to be with me. She stayed a little girl - never weighing more that 6 pounds - but her diva attitude was fierce. She slept under the covers next to me every night - and the first thing I would see every morning was her standing at the edge of the bed staring at me. She would give me a silent meow - to let me know it was time for breakfast. She loved to lay out on the back deck - and take strolls around the yard - but only if I was right there with her. I loved her fiercely - and always will - because she loved me so fiercely. She had developed a thyroid condition, and had lost her hearing - so her meow got very loud in the last few years. But she was aging with all the beauty and grace that defined her little pussy footed self. But she took a very sudden turn for the worst. Ultrasounds showed she had been ravaged by cancer - in every part of her tiny little body. I had to let her go on June 24, 2020. I knew it was going to be especially hard to lose my little Baby Girl - but I just didn't expect to be so utterly broken. This hole will never be filled.
Driving home one afternoon in October of 2001 - I glimpsed something small and dark out of the corner of my eye - hovered near a road sign. I stopped and went over - and found a very small and very terrified jet black kitten. She was apparently trying to figure out how to cross the road. She happily climbed into my arms and we went home, and was named Shadow. She was always the quiet one. She patiently tolerated many cats, a bunch a ferrets and a few dogs - with her sweet, giving nature. Never wanting the spotlight, but never far away - her green eyes and tiny meow were ever present. She had terrible arthritis the last few years of her life, but every night she would get up on the couch with me, asked to be brushed, and sit with me while I watched TV or read. She developed a urinary tract infection, but a trip to the vet gave her rave reviews for how good all of her bloodwork looked. She came home with meds and we settled back in. Two days later, on December 18, 2020 - Shadow passed away suddenly. She was a constant, quiet, beautiful companion for nearly 20 years. I will miss her always.
Apollo OhNo! (Willa) wandered up in February of 2010. He was starving and scared - but quickly made himself at home. He was pretty much everybody's "bratty little brother", but he was hard not to love. I called him my "semi-sweet boy". He was the great protector off all outdoor parcels. He followed me everywhere I went on our 15 acres - even though he often fell behind and had to call out for us to come back and find him. He developed liver cancer - and crossed the rainbow bridge October 8, 2025. Look out, Willa. Baby Girl is waiting for you and I'm sure she has a few bones to pick!
I adopted Marty in January of 2017 at 1 year old. He's was a Maltese - but at 18 pounds he was a big boy! He was joyful dog who loved to romp with Apollo, and harrass Ginger Boy and Miss B. He lived to ride - in anything (car, wagon, tractor, wheelbarrow - you name it!). He was such a happy guy - he had earned the nickname Party Marty. He was a staunch protector of "his yard" - and took his job very seriously. - including chasing squirrels, barking at any noise he thought I should be aware of. He was a big old love bug - and would cuddle on the couch every chance he got. His favorite treats were green beans, celery, bananas and puppy ice cream. He always wanted to be within a few feet of wherever I was. Unfortunately - Marty's 10th birthday brought too many things he never deserved. First diagnosed with diabetes - and ultimately blinded by the cateracts caused by the insulin. Then came the Cushings diagnosis. When none of that was being well managed with medication - an ultrasound revealed he had many tumors spread throughout his body. He still seemed happy and active - and still wanted to follow me everywhere around the yard - so I thought we had some time. A month later the decline came fast. Within 3 days he was no longer the bouncy, happy boy I loved. I let him rest on 9/11/2026. He was with me during a pretty dark time in my life - when no one else was. I will always miss him.