Diane & Tom's Critter Corner
Of Bellmawr, New Jersey
Please come in and meet our children
We are not an organized shelter. All of our pets, except 2, have come to us as rescues. On the pages that follow, we will introduce them to you. We hope that you will enjoy them as much as we do.
The text in PINK are those that have gone on to the Rainbow Bridge
Please feel free to comment about this web site.
Kiwi - Rescued from a Texas shelter by our daughter, Kiwi came to live with us almost 2 years ago. She "cheeps" when she vocalizes, and has a very friendly disposition. She has a stub for a tail, and has part of her left ear missing. She has a stuffed sting ray that she thinks is her "baby", and won't let any of the other cats near it.
Misty
- Misty was diagnosed with early stage kidney failure when we acquired her from an elderly woman. We treated her for this for 2 1/2 years until her death. We had considered a kidney transplant, but the testing would have been too stressful for her. She was very cooperative with her treatments, as if she knew we were helping her. She is greatly missed by all.
Oreo - Her origin is unknown, but she came to us from 2 elderly women who took her in when she started hanging around their home. We found her through an ad in the paper while searching for a neighbor's lost cat. She is very friendly, and constantly wants attention. She enjoys sleeping next to us.
Peanut - By far, the wackiest of our cats. Peanut was the kitten of a stray when we acquired him. He has a head tilt, and as a kitten, he had an abscess in his left ear. He was deaf in the right ear from birth, and lost his hearing during the surgery to remove the abscess. He is part-Siamese, and cries very loudly (sounds like a baby crying).
Troubles - Rescued from a local shelter after Misty died, Troubles was an overweight housecat that was having difficulty grooming herself. With changes in her diet, she now is a very sleek kitty. She can usually be found with Peanut, or sleeping on the kitchen window sill. She too, like Kiwi, has a stub tail.
Bandit
- Bandit came to us from the friend of a neighbor when he was 6 years old. He was suffering from arthritis in his back and had been on a dry cat food diet. Within 3 months, with some changes in his diet and exercise, he had regained his agility and strength. At 8 1/2, he developed adrenal disease, and also cancer in his abdomen. He left us at 9 1/2. His trademark was to poke his head out from under a blanket, looking like "ET".
Chloe - Chloe is a very tiny ferret, similar to CoCo. When her previous owner could no longer keep her, our vet recommended our home to that owner. She was Willy's constant companion until he passed away. She is less than a year old, and many of her actions remind us of CoCo. She is constantly on the go, the first fuzzy awake and last one to sleep.
Cinnamon - This little guy came to us from a local shelter. It seems that both he and Sugar were abandoned in a cardboard box next to a dumpster in March of 2001. Some kind soul found them and took them to the shelter. He has been known to kiss your nose as many as 25 times in succession (what a joy!!).
CoCo -
Our precious little angel was our first ferret. She was purchased in Texas by our daughter. However, she was unable to keep her so CoCo was given to us. At 6 months of age, she had a non-functional left kidney removed. She developed insulinoma and adrenal disease at the age of 5, and had surgery for this. The adrenal disease reappeared as metastatic cancer at age 7. She also developed retinal degeneration and cataracts in both eyes. She passed away in October 2001 when the cancer migrated to her chest and liver. Our favorite memory of CoCo was her flopping over onto her side when she wanted a treat.
Cosmo - When our sweet boy was 3, he was given to us from the daughter of our neighbor. Shortly after his arrival, he had an attack of an intestinal disorder, and almost died from fatty liver disease. He also has insulinoma and adrenal disease. He has had surgery for these, and is doing well on medications. He is extremely sweet and loves to lick your cheek.
Cosmo lost his fight with cancer in the summer of 2003, after a very long and tiring fight (at the age of 7 1/2). We will always miss him and his gentleness.
Diva - One of three new additions to our home, this 1 1/2 year old girl has paired up with Chloe to become the 2 most active ferrets that we have. She spends much of her time hiding her stuffed toys behind the couch. When she is not doing that, she chases Chloe through the ferret tunnels. She also enjoys kissing her "human" friends.
Elmer - The second of the three new kids, Elmer is among the largest ferrets that we ever had. Being 5 years old, he is not a very active boy, except if Emily is around. Then he becomes a Casa-Nova. His favorite activity is "nursing" on Emily's ears, which we try to discourage.
In March, 2004 we discovered that the "nursing" was a result of adrenal disease. Elmer underwent 2 surgeries, but the cancer aggressively returned. His weight increased dramatically and another attempt was made to correct this. However, Elmer lost the battle in November and is now at peace. We miss you, our Little Man.
Emily - Sweet little Emily recently joined our family. She is somewhat overweight and looks like a groundhog when she runs. She is currently our only female, but she can keep her brothers in check when needed. She can usually be found romping with Willy.
Piglet - Although he is not the oldest, he was our 2nd ferret (after CoCo). He came from a college student who could no longer keep him at school. One of his favorite activities is "scuba diving" in the water bowl. When CoCo was still here, she would spend much time licking the fur on his neck He has always felt that he IS the King of the Ferrets, and it takes a while for him to accept any new additions.
Piglet left us for the Rainbow Bridge at the end of September, 2003. He developed an adrenal tumor which caused him to gain almost 1 pound. His condition was undiagnosed until 1 week before his passing. We attempted surgery but he passed away during the procedure. He will be missed by all of those who knew him.
Shirley
- This little girl was a very special young lady. She was with us for almost 5 years, and there is not enough space here to tell you her story. Please follow the link below to read her complete story (it is quite lengthy, but it is well worth reading). You will be amazed.
Sonya - The last of the new additions, Sonya is about 4 1/2 years old, although she acts as if she were 1. She is deaf, but that doesn't slow her down at all. She has a hard plastic toy which she will hide under the television. She keeps an eye on it when her playmates are out, replacing it under the TV if they bring it out.
Sugar - Arriving the same time as his brother Cinnamon, this guy is one of the most active ferrets that have lived here (he is the 2nd youngest ferret in our home). Although he is completely deaf, this doesn't stop him from getting into things he shouldn't.
Willy - He came to us with Emily when he was 4 months old. We have never had a ferret this young, and he was a handful (he has since settled down some). Like Piglet, he too likes to "scuba dive" in the water bowl. He is the first ferret that discovered how to get the kitchen cabinets open. When he first arrived, he was the "Energizer Bunny" times 10.
With a heavy heart, I must tell you that Willy passed away early in March, 2003 at 13-months old. He developed leukemia and died very suddenly, without any signs of being sick. It is really quiet in our home without him. We miss you, Willy.
Bristles
- Another Texas transplant, this fellow was given to us by our daughter. His favorite pastime was wandering around the kitchen in search of insects. Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so he would have 1-2 hours late at night for his playtime. He left us on Labor Day of 1999, at the age of 5.
Spike - After Bristles died, we decided to take his aquarium and supplies to a local wild life rescue as a donation. When we arrived, they mentioned that they had a hedgehog (rescued from a devil worshiper) that needed a home. So everything came back home, as well as Spike. He had been handled by the people at the rescue during the 2 years that he was there, so he has a much nicer temperament than most hedgehogs.
Spike developed cancer in the summer of 2003. We attempted treatment for him but was largely unsuccessful. He went to his rest 3 days before Cosmo. He was also 5 years old when he passed - considered old by some.
Patty & Petey -
Patty (front) and Petey (rear) were our first pets over 35 years ago. Petey was purchased in a pet store, and Patty was given to us when her previous owner no longer wanted her. Petey lived for about 5 years, but we are uncertain of Patty's age when she died.(Sorry for the quality of the photo, but it is the only one that we have.)
Sunny
- Shortly after being put in a field by a previous owner, Sunny and his 4 sisters were rescued by a friend. Not wanting to have a gang of rats, she gave Sunny to us. He enjoyed sitting on your shoulder and sniffing in your ear. After only 14 months with us (he was only about 17 months old) he developed viral pneumonia and passed away. He is greatly missed in our home, although we will probably not get any more rats because of their short lifespan. That said, however, rats do make excellent pets.
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