I was getting ready to clean Hammy's cage yesterday and I noticed immediately that he hadn't jumped up and begun begging for treats. I pet him while he was in his nest and he looked up and gave me a dirty look so I picked him up (and got nipped on the way as he was cage territorial from his days of living in a tiny cage) and he sat in my hand and eventually fell asleep there. I quickly cleaned out his cage while he wondered around the dresser he is on quite happily. He would stop and fall asleep then wake up a minute later and keep going. When I was done his cage I took a few pictures that I will upload soon and then left him tucked in his nest. Then this morning when I went to visit him he wasn't doing much better so I held him for a while and he slept in my hand until my Mom was freaking at me to get ready to leave for school. When I came home I procrastinated going to see him for a little bit but when I finally did I found him dead. He had thankfully passed away in his sleep and he looked so peaceful.
I didn't have much time to get to know Hammy as I adopted him from my neighbour who's son had decided he didn't want hamsters anymore. I had pet-sat him before and he was always a clever and sweet hamster with the softest fur ever! I was ecstatic to be able to take him in. Hammy bonded better with my Dad then he did with me. I suppose it had something to do with the many treats he got from my Dad. =) But something I don't know...clicked, fell in place or finally connected when I held him yesterday. I don't think I have cried this hard for a hamster in a while. Hammy was a great hamster and was very smart. He would take a treat while in one cage(he had two habitrail cages) and then would run to the other one to get another treat. He knew what face or action to use with each person to get more treats. Once while I was pet-sitting him I tried letting him run around on the floor since the room was bare and after looking around and cleaning up a little found it was hamster-proof. I put him down and immediately he ran in between the dresser and the wall. (How I missed that I will never know) and I had to move that huge and heavy dresser just to get the silly boy.
Hammy was well over two years old and he lived to a ripe old age. Especially for a boy who lived on pine and cedar, ate dollar store brand hamster food, a dwarf-sized wheel, a tiny cage, only got a slice of a carrot every other month or so, got little attention and when he did get attention he was handled very roughly. He was once even thrown across the room by a little boy who I used to baby-sit (a friend of my neighbour's kid) and he survived that thankfully. Hammy was blind in one eye but he never let it stop him. Hammy was one in a million and I wish he had stayed longer.
Rest In Peace Hammy
<3
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...lyA9006033.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...lyA9006038.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...lyA9006037.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...llyA900044.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...llyA900043.jpg
Here are the pictures from yesterday
Fell alseep coming out of the 'side door':
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...lyA9008007.jpg
Asleep in my hands:
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...lyA9008008.jpg
And alseep in his nest:
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...lyA9008009.jpg
