Dysthanasia

         He pushes his snout to the cage, sniffing at the fingers pushed through the wires. He bites and pulls at the cage, grinding his teeth on its enamel finish. A demon seems to invade his whole being--he ignores the fingers to barrel around he cage's bottom, pushing everything to the middle, knocking over his litter box. The food dish becomes a target and he digs feverishly, spilling its contents in with the soiled litter.
         He stops and stands next to the mess. He looks out the cage at the people watching.

         Linnaeus' taxonomy renders the Latin "Mustela putorius furo" [M.p.f.]. In pet stores, the sign simply says "Ferrets." The taxonomy relates them to otters, skunks, wolverines, and badgers. Of course, by mere visual comparison, the relation to weasels and minks is abundantly apparent.
         They are small, narrow animals about 25 inches long and weighing in around 2.5 lbs. They are well-suited to maneuvering in burrows and were originally domesticated to be used for hunting rabbits.
         This domestication, like that of the common cat or dog, has led to them to be recategorized as companion animals rather than work animals in many industrialized countries.

         As he begins to climb the sides of the cage, the humans laugh. Papers are signed. His cage is disassembled. He squirms in a lap, full of energy and curious about this new place.
         He finds his way underneath the accelerator. The car is stopped, doors are opened. The people manage to catch him again as he tries to sneak out the open doors into the cold outside world.
         Ferret (for he hasn't a name, yet) is shuttled inside, pouched in the side of a jacket which he finds constrictive and balks against. The grip is loosened and he escapes, leaping to freedom and 4 feet to the floor.
         He has never seen this place. It is new and interesting.
         He runs.
         He bounces.
         He chirps.
         He leaps and bounds and hides.
         He steals and hides again.
         One human is carrying pieces of his cage inside. The other has arms under the couch. Ferret runs from under the couch, bouncing and jumping sideways. He falls over himself, tumbling back to his feet, and darts off again.
         The humans laugh and smile. She looks for her purse. He tells her Orpheus dragged it under the couch.

         M.p.f. is known for a highly inquisitive nature and strong nesting instinct, which often leads them into areas where owners are incapable of reaching them as well as dragging various possessions of the owners' into these areas.
         While many think M.p.f. is odorous and dirty, it is actually a very hygenic animal; their distinctive smell arises from oil glands which moisturize their fur and skin (which is very sensitive) is ineradicable, but barely noticable in a properly fed and cared-for ferret.

         Orpheus, as he has been named, enjoys life for some time. He runs and bounces and hides and steals every day. The humans let him fall asleep under the couch sometimes.
         He is sleeping in his cage one day and stops moving very much. He cannot communicate it, but there is an intense pain in his abdomen. The humans pick him up and put him on the floor. She says Orpheus seems sleepy.
         He does not move and they try to wake him up. He looks at them and grinds his teeth. Each motion is accompanied by nausea and pain. They notice his litter box is empty. He needs to go to the vet.
         Orpheus continues to grind his teeth.

         Foreign body obstruction in M.p.f. may go unnoticed by the owner for some time, being interpreted as simple decreased activity. M.p.f. will begin to grind the teeth as the intestinal obstruction begins to cause pain.
         Surgery is the standard of care.

         Orpheus is swaddled in a towel, carried in to the vet. A strange lady pets his face and tells him he doesn't look good. They feed him things, inject him. A woman in a white coat confers with the humans. Orpheus raises his head and drops it quickly.

         As time passes, the M.p.f. may stop drinking due to pain or lack of desire. Subcutaneous fluids may be administered, but are only an interim measure. Dehydration will occur. M.p.f. will experience throbbing headaches and muscle cramps. Nausea will occur, decreasing M.p.f.'s appetite (though the common dry kibble M.p.f.'s are given would exacerbate dehydration).
         The abdomen distends. M.p.f. may begin to vomit, further exacerbating the dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The continued obstruction has decreased blood flow to the area of intestine distal to the blockage. This precipitates intestinal infarction causing the area, between the blockage and anus, die and necrotize.

         The humans are on the couch with Orpheus between them. His hand is resting on Orpheus' stomach, gently rubbing it. They don't have the money for surgery. Orpheus grinds his teeth.
         They look down at Orpheus. His eyes are barely open. She puts a pillow underneath Orpheus and a soft towel on top. They place treats in front of his nose which he does not eat.

         The necrotic area weakens. The abdomen further distends, compromising respiration. Dehydration intensifies, increasing respiration and heart rate, causing dizziness, fatigue, paresthesia, and seizures.
         The bowel perforates, leaking intestinal contents into the abdominal cavity. This causes infection and inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity, known as peritonitis. The abdominal muscles contract and maintain rigidity. Fever occurs, the heart rate quickens further. Sepsis is a possibility. Dehydration becomes nearly intractable, the tongue swells and splits, muscle spasms overtake the body. The diaphram, already taxed from pressure by the distended abdomen and an increased need for respiration, falls prey to the spasms and ceases to inflate the lungs. The heart spasms and loses periodic electrical activity. No oxygen enters and none can be transported through the body. The brain dies.

         Orpheus is lying between them on the bed. They are discussing how they could get the money. He begins to shake, slightly at first. It becomes more intense and froth begins to appear at his lips. They watch, petting him, trying to hold him still.
         The shaking stops. Tears are at their eyes.
         A sound, like relief, falls from Orpheus' mouth.