Had to put hamster to sleep

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Minstrel

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Dear all hamster lovers,

I’ve just joined because I feel you guys will be the only people who understand. Other people will say “oh that’s sad but it’s just a hamster”.
I’ve just had to take my beloved Syrian hamster to the vets and have him put down. 3 hours ago all was fine and now I’m sitting looking at his empty cage in utter shock and totally heart broken. He had an adrenal tumor. He was fairly old and I know I’d given him the best life but it’s unbearable right now. He brought joy to me every day and I couldn’t have loved him more if he was a Great Dane!!! I know you’ll understand. Thank you , just needed to share with people who’ll understand 😢
 
Hello and welcome. I'm so very sorry to hear your sad news.
 
Hi there. I'm so glad you came on here and shared with us and yes we do understand. It is an incredibly hard thing. You had a special bond with your hamster - as we do - it's a relationship really - and whatever the pet it feels the same. You must be feeling heartbroken. I think it is very hard to sit and look at an empty cage - with the familiarity of it and almost expecting to see the hamster. What I tend to do is cover the cage over with a blanket. I find it helps. It is not such a raw reminder. It's a respectful thing to do - and it means you can wait until you feel ready to clean it out and put it away somewhere. Sometimes it's too soon to do it straight away.

It is real grief and loss we feel. Your hamster had a good life with you and love in their lives and they knew that - it was a happy life and they were lucky to have had you as an owner. You clearly cared and you did the right thing for him, out of love, to prevent suffering. We give them a lot and they gave us a lot in their lives and you must miss him terribly.

All I can say is - it's one day at a time. He is playing free over the rainbow bridge now, free from pain. But they leave a hole in our hearts for a while. Try to do something nice and comforting for yourself and be around people who care about you if you can. Maybe get out somewhere tomorrow for a change of scene.

There is also a section on here for helping with bereavement.

It really is one day at a time. Try to keep busy. When the moment is right you may find it helps once the cage is cleaned out and put away but don't rush that if you're not ready - you can just leave the blanket over it. In time you will be able to remember all the fun and happy moments, but right now it might be too raw.

Sending you big hugs and solidarity x

www.thehamsterforum.com

Bereavement Support

Bereavement Chapters Grieving Coping How do I tell my children? Support for you Grieving The loss of a pet can be incredibly difficult, no matter how prepared you think you are. Your sheer love and devotion to your tiny friends can lead to...
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And do keep posting on here. You can share with us. If and when you feel like it, there's a section for Memorials where you can post a story about him if you want. And if you feel like you would like to do something like that - at the right time.

One thing that can help is when you've had some kind of ceremony to properly say goodbye. Some people plant something in memorial or just have their own little goodbye moment or ceremony. Somehow that helps you accept it and start to move forwards.

Do let us know how you're getting on.
 
Maz said:
Hi there. I'm so glad you came on here and shared with us and yes we do understand. It is an incredibly hard thing. You had a special bond with your hamster - as we do - it's a relationship really - and whatever the pet it feels the same. You must be feeling heartbroken. I think it is very hard to sit and look at an empty cage - with the familiarity of it and almost expecting to see the hamster. What I tend to do is cover the cage over with a blanket. I find it helps. It is not such a raw reminder. It's a respectful thing to do - and it means you can wait until you feel ready to clean it out and put it away somewhere. Sometimes it's too soon to do it straight away.

It is real grief and loss we feel. Your hamster had a good life with you and love in their lives and they knew that - it was a happy life and they were lucky to have had you as an owner. You clearly cared and you did the right thing for him, out of love, to prevent suffering. We give them a lot and they gave us a lot in their lives and you must miss him terribly.

All I can say is - it's one day at a time. He is playing free over the rainbow bridge now, free from pain. But they leave a hole in our hearts for a while. Try to do something nice and comforting for yourself and be around people who care about you if you can. Maybe get out somewhere tomorrow for a change of scene.

There is also a section on here for helping with bereavement.

It really is one day at a time. Try to keep busy. When the moment is right you may find it helps once the cage is cleaned out and put away but don't rush that if you're not ready - you can just leave the blanket over it. In time you will be able to remember all the fun and happy moments, but right now it might be too raw.

Sending you big hugs and solidarity x

www.thehamsterforum.com

Bereavement Support

Bereavement Chapters Grieving Coping How do I tell my children? Support for you Grieving The loss of a pet can be incredibly difficult, no matter how prepared you think you are. Your sheer love and devotion to your tiny friends can lead to...
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com
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You are so very kind. I was so hoping to find some comfort and you have done just that. The blanket idea is really good thank you. Also you must have known that Pipsqueak’s favourite toy was his rainbow bridge 💜
 
Hello & welcome to the forum, I’m glad you found us at this difficult time.I’m so sorry to hear of your loss, it’s always very hard & it doesn’t help that many people don’t understand our bond with our hamsters & how much they mean to us.
They play a big part in our lives & leave a big hole when they go.
It may not seem like it now but it does get easier with time as we slowly come to terms with it & they are always there in our hearts.
It’s important to deal with your grief & loss in a way that feels right for you, there is no right way.
I keep my cages as they are for quite some time, I even stand by & talk to the hams as if they are there sleeping sometimes, only clearing things away when I feel ready, there’s no rush although some people prefer to do this more quickly.
You’re in the company of people who have been through this so feel free to talk, remember & grieve when you need to.
 
Hello Minstrel. I am so sorry for the loss of Pipsqueak. We really do understand how you are feeling and it is sounds like this was quite sudden so you may be in shock.

I hope you will continue posting so we can support you but I just wanted to mention if you are in the UK then Blue Cross animal charity have a bereavement line, especially for people who have lost a beloved little one. You are in my thoughts.
 
Hello and welcome to a forum where people understand how you feel.

I've lost a lot of hamsters because i keep so many but losing one never gets any easier.

When grief is raw it feels like we are never going to laugh or be happy again because our little departed friend was part of our life and often the reason of this happiness.

I find the practical side easier than some people and deal with the cage instantly by cleaning and removing it so i don't have to look it. Often i rescue another hamster soon after losing one knowing that there are so many out there desperate for love and care.

The emotional side is difficult to deal with and time is the only thing that helps eventually. It can take a long time for us to re adjust to life without our hamster and talking about how we feel with likeminded people does help us cope.
It helped me a lot and i hope that it will help you.

In time your grief will ease and your hamster's fond memories will become part of your life.

One thing that never leaves us is the sadness of losing a furry friend because we loved them and always will. Hamsters are small but they play a big part in our lives.
 
I have also found that getting another hamster helps with the grief, and also gives us another little thing who needs us to care for them so you don't completely lose that caring side of your life. Although you may be feeling it's too soon to even consider this. People vary in this. Some people get another one straight away. Nothing can replace the hamster you lost - but they all have their own individual personalities and can be a comfort. Other people need some time. After our first Syrian passed I was hugely affected. It was about two months later when we got another one who was a whizzy baby and so very different when you've been used to an older hamster. He was also a different colour and different personality. He made us laugh again and it made life easier. I actually found I prefer keeping two hamsters - if one passes I still have the other one to look after who needs me and is a comfort.
 
Hello Minstrel. I am sorry that welcoming you to the forum is in such sad circumstances.
Members here certainly understand what you are going through and the genuine grief at the loss of such a special companion. You have already been given some very caring advice in posts above.
If we can help in any further way, just ask.
 
Dear all,

Thank you SO very much for all of your kind, supportive messages. I’m sorry not to reply to you all individually, feel exhausted today, but every comment has been so gratefully received. Still can’t believe my little boy has gone. Came home from work tonight and his empty cage is such a sad sight! It was all so sudden that I guess it’ll take a while to even sink in. Lifted up his little house just to smell him on his bedding (crazy I know!) although I’m certainly not doing the same with his pee corner! 🤣
He’s my first hamster, bought for me by a friend when I came out of hospital to keep me company, and he was a special lad. Visitors couldn’t believe how trained he was (I could tell him to go for a wee and he’d scuttle off and oblige or say “do you want a drink” and he’d go to his bottle. Clever boy!) The vet even said wow, he’s the most tame, gentle hamster I’ve ever handled. So, I can feel proud of him at least! You are all so kind, you have no idea how much that’s helped today. Thank you all.
 
Do not worry about replying to posts. We totally understand. Wow, he sounds like such a special and clever hamster and that was thanks to the love and care you gave him. It is not strange to want to sniff his bedding at all. I hope you will be gentle with yourself and give yourself time to grieve. In the meantime, please feel free to post anytime you wish to.
 
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