Mourning Stripey
Victoria's hamster, Stripey, was obviously dying. He had not been doing well for quite some time, but his symptoms had grown much worse in the last few days, and even more so this morning. So, like a good mom should, I called the vet--for a hamster!
I won't go into great detail about his malady, but Stripey was obviously in distress. The vet diagnosed fast-growing tumors, and recommended exactly what we expected and feared. We had put off the inevitable a bit longer than we should have, but we had to leave Stripey at the vet's office to be euthanized. I guess it was worth it for Victoria's peace of mind. She said that she just didn't want to find him dead in his cage; waiting for him to die was too agonizing for her to consider. Stripey won't be joining his predecessors in the hamster graveyard next to our garden, but we are okay with that.
We left the vet's office, $30.00 poorer, and headed home to clean and disinfect the hamster cage and various paraphernalia. Today, we will mourn for Stripey, and remember the good times. He was extremely tame, as all of Victoria's small pets have been, because she handles them gently and frequently. She will miss his quirkiness, his soft coat, his curious nature.
We had only been home for a few minutes when Victoria appeared in the kitchen with Little Dude on her shoulder. When one hamster dies, another one is sure to help assuage the grief. Little Dude is my classroom hamster, home for the summer. Vic tamed him last summer, so he would be ready to take up residence in a room full of four- and five-year-olds. But, Victoria will always consider Little Dude to be her hamster, too, even though he usually resides at school.
We are already talking about the next permanent small pet for the Bauer household. Levi is rooting for a chinchilla. Vic says no more Chinese hamsters, like Stripey was. When he first got sick, she did a lot of research online, and found that his particular breed is subject to many more diseases than most hamsters. However, she doesn't want another hamster right now. Instead, she is hoping for a mouse.
Been there, done that, too. Mice actually make good pets, as long as you get just one. I speak from experience, though, when I say that two supposedly same-sex mice can produce quite a large family in a very short time.
It seems a little trivial to mourn for a hamster. Even the most robust live for only two or, at most, three years. But, I can't help but think that God cares about hamsters, just as he cares for sparrows (Matthew 10: 29) and all other creatures. And, I know for sure that he cares--a lot--for a certain teenage girl who has just lost a well-loved pet.
Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home?
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is he:
His eye is on the sparrow (and hamster)
And I know he cares for me.
His Eye is on the Sparrow, Civilla Martin and Charles Gabriel, 1905
We left the vet's office, $30.00 poorer, and headed home to clean and disinfect the hamster cage and various paraphernalia. Today, we will mourn for Stripey, and remember the good times. He was extremely tame, as all of Victoria's small pets have been, because she handles them gently and frequently. She will miss his quirkiness, his soft coat, his curious nature.
We had only been home for a few minutes when Victoria appeared in the kitchen with Little Dude on her shoulder. When one hamster dies, another one is sure to help assuage the grief. Little Dude is my classroom hamster, home for the summer. Vic tamed him last summer, so he would be ready to take up residence in a room full of four- and five-year-olds. But, Victoria will always consider Little Dude to be her hamster, too, even though he usually resides at school.
We are already talking about the next permanent small pet for the Bauer household. Levi is rooting for a chinchilla. Vic says no more Chinese hamsters, like Stripey was. When he first got sick, she did a lot of research online, and found that his particular breed is subject to many more diseases than most hamsters. However, she doesn't want another hamster right now. Instead, she is hoping for a mouse.
Been there, done that, too. Mice actually make good pets, as long as you get just one. I speak from experience, though, when I say that two supposedly same-sex mice can produce quite a large family in a very short time.
It seems a little trivial to mourn for a hamster. Even the most robust live for only two or, at most, three years. But, I can't help but think that God cares about hamsters, just as he cares for sparrows (Matthew 10: 29) and all other creatures. And, I know for sure that he cares--a lot--for a certain teenage girl who has just lost a well-loved pet.
Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home?
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is he:
His eye is on the sparrow (and hamster)
And I know he cares for me.
His Eye is on the Sparrow, Civilla Martin and Charles Gabriel, 1905
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