The most amazing ferret, our sweet Lixie truly was a queen!  She lived her life with amazing gusto and independence.  I have many ferrets, each with different personalities, but as my first ferret, there was something so special about Lixie.  She was and always will be the top ferret in the household!  Such a queen, she ruled with grace and love and the other ferrets all loved and respected everything about her.  She LOVED tennis balls and even though they weighed as much as she did...she could grab them up in her teeth and haul them away to sneaky hiding spots quicker than a dog ever could.  She loved to snuggle up when she slept and her favorite treat was always ferrevite...she had the tiniest little tongue but could lick down a bunch of that stuff in a heartbeat.  Just about 2.5 years ago, our beloved Lixie was diagnosed with Adrenal Gland Disease...a horrible disease that is unfortunately pretty common in ferrets.  But, she fought hard and furious and really didn't let her get her down..with regular Lupron shots, she did very well keeping her hair and appetite and slowing the growth of her spleen.  Then, in April of 2005, she really took a bad turn and we thought we might lose her.  She turned yellow and had some major liver problems..she would hardly eat and seemed like she might not make it, but when I looked in her eyes, I KNEW she wasn't ready to give up...we tried everything and with the last effort of her great vet Dr. Bolt...she was on her way to recovery.  We took her to the beach with us expecting the worst and got the best!  She thrived and frolicked in the sand (at night of course because ferrets get too hot in the sun) and we played and played inside the condo too.  I often joke with her vet and tell him, "see, she just needed a vacation like the rest of us."  I'll always cherish the memories of that special time she got to spend alone with us.  Last week though, the cancer started to really take it's toll...we tried a special shot to see if it could work again, but she told me in her own sweet way that night, that she was tired and ready to rest.  I had her on the bed with me and I asked her to let me know if she needed to go...she walked over to me on weak legs, I was crying...she put her little dry nose on mine and one of my tears moistened her face and I stared into those soulful black eyes, and I could hear her tell me she needed to go...that she loved us dearly and wished she could hang on, but that it was just too much this time.  We played in the floor just a bit longer and, as weak as she was, she grabbed her tennis ball and hid it behind the dresser one last time.  I put her in her hammock to try and sleep...she woke me about 3 a.m. and I knew it was time...she was definately ready to go.  We bundled her up and took her to the emergency vet where I held her while they gave her a shot of anesthesia.  The last thing she remembered on this earth is laying in my arms with her head on my shoulder while we stroked her tiny head and talked about all the love and joy she brought us.  The vet took her back and a few minutes later came out with a box.  We'll have her cremated and release her ashes like we released her spirit.  Lixie was and is destined for greatness wherever her spirit and soul are.  She was bigger than any little ferret body could hold, but that body did it's best for a while.  Now, we feel her spirit all around us, but it still hurts that she's gone.  We love you Queen Lixie and you are everything to a lot of souls!  See you soon, and I'll bring your blue tennis ball!