Oh my god, I loved Emma so much! She was my first ferret, I rescued her from a bad situation so I could hand her over to a ferret shelter... I didn't really want a ferret... I didn't really know anything about ferrets before then... but in the one day that I had to keep her I fell in love and ended up adopting her because I couldn't get her out of my mind. I love dogs, I always want dogs around me and in my life, I thought that dogs were my favorite creatures... but I've never felt so strongly for, and connected to, a species before. I don't know how to describe it. They're very "human" if you bother to look, with human problems and emotions. They're not a rodent (why do people think they're rodents) to be kept alone and in a cage. They're intelligent animals humans domesticated (like dogs from wolves) and they depend on us, and they love us and their other companions. Every single one I've met has had a different personality.

Ferrets are loving and loyal like a dog, but playful, crazy, and curious: like a kitten that never grows up. They can suffer from serious depression if they loose a loved one. They can get so mad angry: but will very easily forgive... or they can remember- if you don't let them know you're sorry... And, they are ever so innocently devious! You can just see the little gears of evil thoughts turning behind their eyes. XD They can be the greatest cure, and the greatest cause, of depression. I'd say it's impossible to be sad with a ferret bouncing around at your feet, doing all sorts of ridiculous things. But, they almost always get cancer, (mainly adrenal cancer) and watching them pass away is simply heartbreaking. When a ferret does something bad, like dig up a plant or knock something breakable off a shelf on purpose, it's hard to be mad at them. Sounds stupid, but it's so true. You may start to be but you can see that they didn't do it to be bad, they just had SO MUCH fun they couldn't help themselves. You almost end up enjoying it too. Anyway, I'm sounding totally gay now.

Emma loved stealing wallets. It didn't matter what they were made of, or what was in them, she couldn't resist the little packets and would pull them out of your pants or purse, or just find them where ever they were, and would steal them away to her little cubby hole behind the bookshelf. At least I always knew where to look when I couldn't find mine. She also liked my bra's and would hide them under the bathroom cabinet. I'd have to get a coat hanger to get them out.

She was queen of the house, she lorded over my dog, Charlotte, until she accepted her as a play buddy. 1lbs versus 45lbs? no worries. She would even run up Charlotte's back and grab her head with her paws. Emma was very athletic and lean but muscular. She loved to find new ways up to things and could be ridiculously clever about getting to new places in the house. She would adjust her play style to every new ferret (or mammal) so as not to overwhelm them, and was amazingly sensitive for her bold personality. She would be very patient and get ferrets who were normally too shy and scared to play with others to play with her; like Lady, my other ferret.. If one wanted to play rough and really wrestle, she was always up for that too; like with my boy ferret Llyr. Luna, my second ferret, seemed to suffer from really bad nightmares. Emma would hear her crying and flailing in her sleep and would go to her, lay down next to her, and put her arms around her (like hug) and would sleep with her until Luna could stop whimpering.

Emma got adrenal cancer when I was still living in New Jersey. She had two surgeries and was on the human cancer drug, Lupron... even though simple Melatonin seemed to control it better. (Probably because it was malignant) She was fine when they removed her left adrenal gland but it must have spread onto her right one quickly because the swollen vulva symptom wasn't gone for long. She died at the vet when she was staying over night after the second operation. I had considered flying her back to Florida to let my old vet operate, since he was amazing ferret surgeon. She would have been worth it to me, but I thought that was a silly thought, and we didn't have a lot of money... to spend on things like a $1600 airline ticket. My vet in Jersey was recommended by other ferret owners after all. I believe the vet who did operate on her nicked her vena cava (which is, apparently, very easy to do) and that she bled to death that night. I think she was 7. She died beautiful and active.