Daughter’s hamster passed away tonight. It’s a solemn evening in the household.
As mentioned here and here, he wasn’t doing well. He was dropped off at the vet this morning to see about draining the abscess. They were supposed to call around 3:00 to have us pick him up but they didn’t. Around 4:00 I called. They said he wasn’t coming out of anesthesia as quick as he should have; they weren’t sure why (usually they pop right back from the gas). Vet said when they got in there things were much worse than anticipated, but they drained out what they could. Wife and kids picked Francis up and brought him home. Daughter held him and he was a little floppy and groggy but she put him in his cage in his igloo. When I returned home I went to go see him (had to give him his antibiotic). I lifted the igloo and when I went to pick him up I could tell something wasn’t right. His body felt cold and lifeless. Daughter immediately noticed something was wrong (maybe a look on my face, I don’t know). I confirmed Francis had passed, Daughter cried. Rest of family heard, came up, and Oldest and Youngest cried too. Even Wife and I shed a tear.
We wrapped him in a cloth. Found a little cardboard box and laid his wrapped body within. Daughter found a spot in the flower bed in the backyard. I dug. We had a small ceremony. Daughter laid Francis to rest. She found a flat rock and tomorrow will paint it to place in the garden where he is buried. We’ll also clean up the cage and such tomorrow and see where to go from here.
Wife and I talked with the kids, helping them understand life and death. That yes we’ll be sad that he’s gone, but we should celebrate the life he had and the time we had together. We will always have memories that make us smile. Cherish those. This is all just part of life… it’s all part of having pets, growing up. It’s life.
When the 1st hamster, Mark, died, one of the priests at our church printed up something he found and gave it to Daughter to offer her some comfort. Here’s what he found, about the Rainbow Bridge. It’s a beautiful sentiment.
Life goes on.
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I’m sorry to hear that. Certainly a somber occasion for the household, regardless of the hard life lesson learned.
Thanx, doc.
We’ll have to give the little fella a salute on Saturday.
Thank you for the thought. We’ll see. Daughter may actually come out with us (don’t know, haven’t asked her yet). If she does come out well… we’ll have to wing it and see. Don’t want to do it if it’s going to upset her and thus be a cloud over the day for all of us, y’know? Just gotta see how she deals with it all. Right now I think she’s in denial/avoidance. Doesn’t want to even acknowledge the cage and such to clean up. S’ok. We all cope in our own ways.
Still, I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you.