The Schubert Site: Stories about a sable ferret, a tabby cat, and a full and joyful life.
A gallery of adorable ferret pictures
When Schubert broke into our apartment
Why you should think twice before getting a ferret
The day Schubert caught a "mouse"
Schubert and the big red balloon
Schubert's News:
Aug 17:
I'm back in the studio after what's been I suppose has been a few weeks. The sounds that the computer makes as it processes my commands sound sometimes achingly like a ferret sighing softly in his sleep. I have to keep reminding myself that he's not on my lap. He's not beside me. He's not sleeping behind my HP 1210 and he's not behind any part of my machine as I type.
We lost Schubert on Monday, August 1, 2005 . Schubert went into surgery around 2:00 pm that afternoon. He did great in the operation, and was stable when our vet put him in the recovery room. His heart stopped about 15 minutes later. He never knew he was sick, and my greatest guilt is that Schubert was hungry when he died. The vet told us that we couldn't feed him solids while he was in surgery.
He wasn't in pain. I just keep telling myself that over and over as I see that he couldn't have been in pain, not as much pain as Chris and I are, over his loss.
We had Schubert cremated, and plan to scatter his ashes over a flowering tree. ( We still don't know what to plant. )
Tommy, our cat, is still searching around the house for him. We will move on, but it will take time. Schubert was happy, and healthy, and we will always remember him as the first pet we raised together.
My current project is the gutting and remodeling of the studio, the room that used to be Schubert's. Stay tuned for before and after photos of the room, my work, and the repurposing of the space that was dedicated to the most adorable ferret in the world.
July 29:
Yes, we got the results today. I'm bummed, but not as bummed as I was a few days ago when Chris found the lump. We have a really wonderful veterinarian here in Whitsett, Dr Huth, who counseled us on the best course of action for Schubert.
Schubert has been diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma, a condition that is unfortunately pretty common in ferrets. It's a form of cancer that attacks the lymphatic system. He's scheduled for surgery on Monday. They will remove the affected lymph node, and hopefully stave off the really aggressive cancer for as long as we can. Dr Huth stressed to us that the surgery is not a cure, but it will give him a few more months.
Schubert is not acting sick. He's only in the first stage of the disease, the growth is visible but he does not seem to be showing any other symptoms of the illness. He sleeps a little more than he used to, and doesn't seem as excited to get out of the studio and roam the house, but I'm pretty sure he's not in pain. I just want Schubert to be happy and comfortable for as long as he can. We are not going to start chemotherapy until there is no other option.