hamster surgery - share your experiences (especially spays!)

I’m so very sorry . I find it can help to put a blanket over the cage until you feel it’s the right time to sort that out - sometimes it’s too soon and immediate. This does two things - 1) It helps with the grief in that you don’t have the constant familiar reminder as if she’s still there 2). It’s a sign of respect. The moment will feel right and then you’ll just want to do it all.

And yes they’re like any other loved member of the family and have a bond with them.

This may help a bit

Very sad to hear you have lost little MammaBear. Run free over the bridge little one Thank you for sharing this with us.

Also we have a Rainbow Bridge corner if you wanted to leave a little memorial post to here there x It's just one day at a time and stages. Having some kind of little ceremony can help too or creating a memento. I also find it can help to have a change of scene for a day or two - either a week-end away or even just a day out somewhere different. That helps cope with the "habit" you have of going to the cage, feeding etc - it changes the routine so it doesn't get you down too much.

Thank you for the kind suggestions and words , I also wanted to clarify I'm not the original poster of this thread! Just someone who wanted to chime in because my little one had very similar symptoms and also needed a spay. I will take a look at the Rainbow Bridge corner and the support link. Having a small place to leave a memory and taking things one day at a time might help. The suggestion about covering the enclosure is very thoughtful, I've been struggling to look at her setup without feeling overwhelmed with emotions, so being able to pause but also treat it as a sign of respect feels comforting. I do have plans later this week for the long weekend to get out of town to spend time with family!