This is very, very difficult post. I find myself almost breaking down into tears again trying to get it out.

She actually passed last Sunday and I haven't been able to bring myself to speak of it much, it simply hurts too badly. I sobbed for about an hour when the decision was made to put her down, and couldn't stop holding her. I would start to release her, and bring her back, crying harder.

She went off her feed last November, a normality for her and not particularly troublesome---she usually fasted during the winter. I periodically offered, and she refused. We had a long winter, so I wasn't too bothered, especially as she was keeping on weight, still drinking, pooing... she was moving slower than normal, and didn't want to coil the real portion of her body at all, but Kinkers has always been somewhat of an oddity when it came to that (she was a side-sleeper!)

Come February, I did start worrying, because let's face it, that's a LONG time without food, and she was really starting to show sign of increased lethargy. Took her to the vet, they couldn't find anything wrong, and told me she was probably still in her winter fast.

Last month she started going downhill quickly. Still wouldn't eat, wasn't moving well, drastic weight loss; took her to the vet, tried force feeding, and they still didn't know what was wrong. She was suffering, I knew she was suffering, you could see it and it was awful. She went into blue and I waited for her to shed out---she had yet to experience any issues with shedding. When the day came, however, that she couldn't shed by herself and didn't even make the effort, I made the very difficult decision to have her put to sleep.

The vet thinks---and I agree---that she was simply done in. Her body had been badly deformed her entire life, and she had always had her own little foilbles (whistling when she breathed, sleeping on her side, afraid of heights and tying herself into knots when you picked her up). I'm not even sure how old she was; I got her as a full grown adult and the person who sent her to me had rescued her as a full grown adult.

I do know that I had her in my life for almost six wonderful years. She is one of two pets I have been able to keep throughout all the changes in my life during those years (the other is my cat). We made so many moves together that I lost count---seven maybe?---and she never once complained, nor had any issues. She was the sweetest thing ever, a true example of what an amazing pet these creatures can be. I took her to some disability classes in college to speak on animal disabilities. I took her to a few events where children could see her and I could teach them about snakes and how to care for them.

I love her so much, and it sucks because she's gone. There's a void in my life now, and I'm not sure how to fill it.

If you pray, pray for her. If you don't, simply remember her. I know I always will.







Two of my very last pics with her: