Roly (3/9/2001 - 6/30/2005)

Roly is my BIG BOY ferret. He's also my only cinnamon ferret. He came to me not long after I lost my Winkwomp. At that time, I wasn't looking for another ferret. I was still grieving over my first loss, and I didn't want to feel like I was replacing Winkwomp. But I know that Winkwomp could never be replaced and that Roly just happened to be a little unexpected, yet very welcome surprise.

Roly came to me via the internet. That's a very strange thing to say, but honestly you can get anything on the internet. One day, I was on my AOL account surfing the web when I got an instant message from someone I had never met. The message was something to the extent of did I know anyone who wanted a ferret. It seems this person was looking for a home for a ferret his sister had gotten but could no longer keep. I chatted with this person for a while about possible options for placing the ferret (put out an ad on a webpage for ferret advertisements or to surrender the poor baby to my care since I am a ferret shelter representative). Eventually, he opted for the latter, and I ended up caring for this beautiful ferret. The previous owners called him Sneezy, but I had to change his name. At first I thought about calling him Pippin (my boyfriend had been in the habit of naming his ferrets after hobbits). But because of his massive size, I had to call him Roly-Poly.

Roly is such a cute little critter. When I got him from his previous owners, I commented about how big he was. They were surprised that I thought he was big because they said he is small in comparison to other ferrets he was around. But most people agree that he is a chunky one. If Roly is small, then I would hate to see the mutant ferrets that live in the area he came from. From the moment I took Roly in, I knew it would be hard to let this precious baby go. He is just too darn cute! And the name Roly fits him not only because of his size, but also because he loves to roll around while he plays.

Like I said, I hadn't planned on keeping him. But my ex-boyfriend kept begging me to keep him, and I knew that somehow this was the therapy I needed to mend my broken heart. I'll never forget or stop loving my Winkwomp, but I certainly have plenty of love for this little guy. I knew I would never be able to let him go. His energy, love, and spunk make me smile. Plus, he loves all my other ferrets. From the moment they all met, they've been great friends. I just couldn't bear to take that away from my babies. Ferret math strikes again!

I lost my beautiful, cinnamon boy on June 30. I came home and there he was in the cage, his soul already at the rainbow bridge. I don't know what happened (but will update this with the results when I find out). Of course, I blame myself. It's hard not to when they go so suddenly like that. He had not been showing signs of illness. That morning, he was still my little boy who constantly tormented Chaos by nibbling insatiably on her ears. Miss Chaos is sad by his passing, but Vera and Noodle will take care of her ferret love needs, and I will fill in the gaps for her elsewhere. We will remember that big lug who would give kisses on demand, roll over for a treat, and had the energy of 10 ferrets. I know that Winkwomp and Chance will take care of my big boy at the Bridge. I just wish my ferrets didn't have to leave the world so soon since they stay in my heart forever. I miss him so much.

Click here to see Roly's memorial notes. Thank you for your support in my time of grief.