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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Goodbye Hammy

Our youngest granddaughter was born on our oldest granddaughter's sixth birthday. My son bought 6 yo a hamster on that day.
When my son and his young family went off to visit Debbie's parents in December Hammy stayed with me. I'd take him out of his cage every evening and I'd let him run around on the kitchen table for half an hour. I soon realised he loved my handbag and left it on the table for him to climb into and explore.

Last weekend I babysat my three grandchildren while John and Debbie took a group of men on a mountain hike. (you can read about their business and Debbie's lovely blog here), I checked on Hammy during the morning. His beautiful spacious cage with ladders, a house and a long tunnel which he loved, stood in my office. I was horrified to see that since the previous evening, when I'd had him out, Hammy had gone from a bright-eyed and bushy tailed little rodent to a stressed-looking hamster with crusted eyes and dull fur.
Together with the children helping, I gently cleaned his eyes with warm cotton wool and checked him over for injuries. I could find nothing and placed him back in the cage. We cut him two wheels of cucumber and a lettuce leaf: a great favourite of his. He nibbled on the cucumber so I left him thinking I'd take him out that evening.
This was not to be: when I opened his cage on Friday evening, Hammy was lying just inside his tunnel, cold and quite dead.
On Saturday morning early my granddaughter, grandson and I buried him in the flowerbed just beyond the large pond.
Goodbye dearest Hammy.
For other worlds, click here.

16 comments:

  1. Awwwwwww poor Hammy! I wonder what happened to him? Such a cute little guy! You did get some great pics of him at least!

    Have a good week, Jo!

    Sylvia

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  2. Oh, I'm sorry for poor Hammy, and the grandchildren must have been very sad to lose him. May he rest well in the bosom of your garden...

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  3. Hi Sylvia, I also wonder. I have eight cats and my fear was always that he'd get out and be eaten! However, the cats are in a seperate closed off area to where Hammy lived (and they're too fat and lazy to hunt -lol!) so I don't know what the matter was with the poor little guy. Thanks for visiting.

    Hi Janie, yes, he's in the garden... Good to see you again!

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  4. He was a cute little guy. And lived a happy life wandering your kitchen when he visited (I don't think I'd have let a hamster run quite so free!)

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  5. I'm so sorry to hear about Hammy.
    May he rest in peace in your garden and may your grandchildren have happy memories of him.
    Sunny :)

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  6. Oh no! Poor hammy! Such a sweet little hamster.

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  7. Poor guy and sad news for the kids. But am sure some memories must remain now that you have great frames of Hammy.

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  8. How sad! I hoped there was going to be a happy ending!

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  9. Hi Jo - we "meet" again!!! Sweet post - reminds me our hammie who died last winter too - just as sudden, and I was toally distraught, didn't think they lived such a short life!!!
    Gena @ thinking aloud

    My post is up : http://tobethinkingaloud.blogspot.com/2010/01/lodge-in-magalies-my-world-tuesday.html

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  10. Poor Hammy and the grandchildren.

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  11. rest in peace little hammy.
    but...he has a beautiful garden to dream about his next life in :)
    happy new year jo.

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  12. That is so sad. Great memories to be treasured.

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  13. Well, Hammy lived to a ripe old hamster age, but it's always sad when a beloved pet dies. Sounds like he had a full life and was well-loved.

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  14. Sorry to hear about the loss of Hammy, sounds like he lead a good life. Maybe died of old age? I like that you all buried him in the garden, which is a delightful place.

    Heard from John and will try to work something out for a hike. Thanks Jo.

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  15. Oh sorry about it.

    Regards Jo.

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