Fiona, nickname "Pee-pot" passed away last night. She was our first and smallest glider. She was almost 6 years old...

When they say they hide their illness well, listen to them, because it's true...

Maybe someday, I'll add the last few days of her story, but not today.

We took her to the vet yesterday morning because the sparkle in her eyes was not there and she was lathargic seemed extra warm, belly seemed swollen and she hadn't eaten. She was not dehydrated. The night before when hubby checked on them she apparently wasn't herself, but he didn't tell me until the following morning. I feel even then it may have been too late.

The vet diagnosed kidney failure (renal failure) and sent us home with antibiotics just in case it wasn't too late. She said there was nothing left to do.

I held her most of the day, she was restless. She died while I was holding her last night. I saw the end coming. Hubby and I were able to say our goodbyes and give last kisses...

We let Stewie see her and say goodbye. It seemed the right thing to do. He sniffed her and gave her a kiss, and nervously sniffed around her for a bit. And then watched her from a distance for awhile...

I wanted to do a necropsy, but hubby wanted her undisturbed. The vet had already told us what was wrong and she knew the odds were against Fiona. I couldn't go against hubby's wishes as he is as close to her as I was.

We burried her this morning under the big oak tree in the back yard. She is at peace. Rest easy little one, we will see you again someday over the rainbow bridge. Then you can pee on me all you want again... In the meantime find some friends and play hide and seek, your favorite playtime game... Glide free Pee-pot, you taught us much, gave us smiles and laughs. My bra baby, our peanut butter toast stealer, our snuggler, Dad will miss watching TV with you snuggled in the recliner. Lots of memories to comfort us, you will be missed so much... But you'll never be forgotten... Now you'll never have be too tired to play, you can glide free finally forever...


Fiona: 7/14 - 5/22/20

Dawn and Brad,

I am so very sorry for your loss. May you find comfort and peace in your memories of her.

Glide Free Little Fiona

I am so very sorry for the loss of Fiona.She was so very special to both you and Brad

I have loved the many stories about your gliders. So sorry Fiona is gone.

Thank you for all your kind words, comfort and thoughts. Fiona was very special from the first day we got her.

We miss her so much and I will be telling her story of the last 5 days before her passing. But it's all too fresh and I don't want to miss the details. We had some strange activity in our home from Dot and Stewie for about 4 days before Fiona passed.

Once my heart can let go of that, and I can transfer it all right here, I plan to start a thread on new beginnings for both Dot and Stewie. They have become more interactive with us. Or maybe we have been more interactive with them... We'll see...

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts

Thank you Karen, I think I'm ready...

I want to back up and tell a Dot and Stewie story leading up to the end. More to help others maybe...

Looking back, I suspect Fiona had been sick for awhile. Not because I noticed anything different in her, but from the way Stewie was acting.

For a couple of months, when Stewie wanted Fiona to play with him, he would literally turn their open environment pouch (OE pouch for short) upside down. He showed me this one night when I was looking for Fiona...

I was calling her, couldn't feel her in the pouch, but when Stewie dumped it, she came scurrying out. She must have been under the blankets hanging on the side and hidden... I watched him do this several times after that too.

Fiona liked to sleep alone sometimes and she would boot Stewie out... I could hear him beg to be with her, but eventually he would seek out the other pouch for awhile... They even slept apart all day at times...

So fast forward to 4 nights before she passed...

Stewie woke me up barking around 4 am... I can usually sleep through this, but he wouldn't stop... So I got up to see. He was hanging upside-down on the bars barking just an inch from Fiona's pouch... It didn't matter that I was watching and talking to him... He kept barking.

So I opened the cage door and checked the pouch. There was Fiona. I took her out, checked her over and she seemed fine, normal. She wanted back in the cage, normal for that time of day. The difference that morning was she went back to the sleeping pouch instead of staying out to eat and drink. Ok I thought, and went back to bed. Then Stewie started barking again for it seemed 5 minutes. Then he stopped and from the living room for started barking. She kept this up for at least 5-10 minutes and stopped. And Stewie took up where she left off... This was strange... They have always exchanged barking, but was always brief.

The next night Stewie barked, but by the time I got up, Fiona was out eating. He stopped barking too.

When I got up later that morning and passed by the cage, I caught a whiff of a strong urine smell. " Hum" I thought. But I chalked it up to a night of marking and over marking... A game they have played before... I didn't change any hammocks that day, but I did clean their drop pan, thinking I'll start cleaning there...

That night I fed the gliders, but I was too tired to play with any of them and went to bed. That night there was some barking from Dot followed by barking from the cage in our room. It was brief... Hubby had checked on everyone before he went to bed.

The following morning he mentioned how Fiona was out last night and seemed different. She was eating staple, but looked too tired to move. He did help her back in the pouch. I immediately asked him to get her and when he brought her out, she didn't look good at all. There was a very strong urine smell to her. I smelled her cloatia and it was even worse. Called the vet and had her there in 2 hours. (An hour trip) She examined her, tried to get any sample from her checked to see if maybe her sugar was off by a PH test from her cloatia... She diagnosed kidney failure.. And that night she died in my hands.

This was a terrible price to pay for me not paying attention to my other two who seemed to try to tell me something...

I have ran my gliders to the vet for trivial ailments thinking they were gonna die. Fiona hid this well.

vet offices have recently just opened (2 weeks ago) due to the pandemic. All 3 of them missed their well check in March time due to this...

I should have taken them in the week or two before. But would have the vet caught it... Many things have gone through my head... Guilt on the top of the list... I always thought I was a good momma. I have always taken pride in how I care and love them.

Fiona always got what she wanted. We were bonded. Very closely. But there were times when she preferred being in her cage with her mates instead of being with me, so we have always let her choose. She was very spoiled.

I've started a thread for Stewie and Dot. I hope you will follow along and see how it turns out with me...

Fiona was everyone's favorite, but now it's time to move on... Thanks for reading...

Considering what was wrong it is doubtful you could have done much of anything. Still hurts though I am sure. Sorry.

I truly appreciate you guys!!!

Thank you!