Is it hard when your hamster dies?

[Jambalaya]

I'm thinking of getting a hamster. I'm too busy to have a more dependent pet like a dog, and I don't think it's fair to leave a cat home alone all the time. (I don't want multiple pets.) I don't have space for the large cage that a rabbit or guinea pig would need, and I'm not really into birds and fish as pets. I'm reading about everything hamsters need, their nature, and how to adopt one, etc. (I know they're nocturnal - me too!)

But one thing is stopping me. The little guys only live for a couple of years or so, and since 'd be adopting one, maybe a lot less. Hamsters are cute and funny, and I'm sure I would love him or her. I live alone now, and it would be a bit of company in the evening...I'm sure I could get really attached.

My instinct is that it would be heartbreaking when the hamster died. I am sure that many people are thinking it's "only" a hamster. But I think I could get really upset about losing a pet after such a short time, so I'm thinking that perhaps I just won't go there.

Anybody have experience with losing a pet hamster? Was it really hard?

Thanks

 

[kenny]

I had, and even bred, hamsters when I was a teenager.
I loved mine ... but for intelligence and for a 'meaningful' pet that adds to your life hamsters can't compare to certain species of birds.
I read you're not partial to them, but please amuse me here.

For a first companion pet bird I recommend a cockatiel or a budgerigar, aka budgie.
In America the budgie is commonly, but incorrectly, called a parakeet.
If possible get one that was hand-fed by a competent human ... directly from the breeder you found on Google.
For this to go well it's best the chick spent no time, not even one day, being ignored by humans, sitting in a cage, at a pet shop.
It will need daily attention from you ... a time commitment ...... but totally worth it!

Companion pet birds are certainly NOT for everyone.
There is much to learn.
Their physical needs are considerable, but their social/psychological/emotional needs are much more challenging to learn about and meet.

Figuring out and meeting these needs is not just a challenge. it's essential for this to go well.
There are zillions of rescue agencies for pet birds because people don't do their homework and think their bird will automatically take to and love them, as do dogs.
Dogs and cats have been selectively bread for zillions of generations to make humans happy.
NOT birds.
If you're successful and up to the challenge I consider birds to be superior companion pets to, even, dogs ... and I LOVE our doggies.

Other bird species I'd consider to start with are a parrotlet or green-cheeked conure (my current companion bird, and joy of my life).

If it must be a little furry (not feathered) creature, I've heard that rats, yes rats, are very intelligent and can make great pets.

Of course, the more you love any pet the more its loss will be painful.

 

[kenny]

Anybody have experience with losing a pet hamster?
Was it really hard?

Not immediately.
It took hours for rigor mortis to set in.


Sorry.
You set that one up so well, and I couldn't resist.

 

[arkieb1]

My son has guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits are illegal where I live in Australia, the fines for having a bunny are $44 000.00AUD in my state, if you are caught with a rabbit and no that isn't a misprint. So we have guinea pigs instead, I read they last about 5 years inside on a commercial diet, we kept them when I was a kid and with a good diet of fresh grasses and food then can last well over 10+ years.

 

[momhappy]

I think the answer lies in the attachment (and not the critter ). Sure, if you develop an attachment to anything, letting it go is hard no matter what it is. I had hamsters as a kid and I remember being sad when they passed, but nothing I couldn't handle.
A word of caution about hamsters though - they can hit or miss as pets. In other words, sometimes you get one that makes a good pet and sometimes you don't. They can be somewhat friendly or they can bite your fingers. They can also be noisy at night. Their main goal in life is to escape whatever cage they reside in As far as pet critters go, guniea pigs and rats are the most social

 

[missy]

Yes I think it painful and heartbreaking when you lose any living being that you love. I had guinea pigs, gerbils, and hamsters (and dogs) growing up and losing each one of them was quite heartbreaking for my whole family. I will say that when our beloved dog died that was the most horrible for everyone but I mourned quite a lot for the rest of my animals when they died.

Jambalaya, I would ask you to consider adopting two animals if you plan on getting one because if you are not home often these animals need companionship and having 2 is more humane IMO than adopting one. That goes for if it is a cat, guinea pig or hamster. Just make sure they are spayed/neutered or else you might end up with a lot of little surprises.

Good luck and I will add that I think joy of adding a beloved pet companion greatly outweighs the pain of losing them (in the long run). They add to your quality of life in immeasurable ways and by providing them with a loving home think of the good life you are giving them despite it being not very long in the measurement of human years.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

I have had both hamsters and guinea pigs as a kid and I'm looking into getting sone for my own children now. All animals were rescues, so we didn't know the accurate ages , but I had my hamsters about 3 years and the first guinea pig had to be put to sleep after 12 years (vet couldn't believe it himself). So some individuals get much older than 2 / 5 years. And we got pretty attached to the guinea pig, less So to the hamsters ....The shelter wouldn't let one adopt single hamsters, they said they always need a partner, but guinea pigs are OK single if one interacts with them regularly.

I can just echo 100% what arkieb1 and momhappy said: our hamsters always escaped, I still don't know how they did it! We even put a small lock on the cage, but somehow they managed to get out anyway. In general they weren't very social pets.


The guinea pig on the other hand was much more social than we'd have imagined (he called for us whenever he wanted company, when we got home he heard the keys and called us immediately, played with the dog a lot). So we were pretty attached to him. We had a medium size cage, but he was allowed out a lot in the house, never unsupervised, though because of possible dangers for him (electricity etc).
Obviously the more attached you are to the animal, the nicer is the company, but also it's much harder when they leave you...

 

[monarch64]

It's never easy when a pet you've cared for dies. Hamsters are in your life for a much shorter time than other animals, though, and while soft and cuddly, don't have a ton of personality. I had two when I was a kid--Cookie and Goofy were their names, and I don't recall their lives ending being terribly traumatic. However, I grew up on a farm and had already encountered the cruelty of finding out what happened to the cattle we kept, lost a horse, a few calves, a dog, and a cat by the time the hamsters came and went.

I'm more nostalgic reading people's experiences with guinea pigs here! I had 3; two were Abyssinian and one was a Peruvian (long hair, black and white, a gorgeous little thing) that my mother named "Ezio Pinza" after the Italian opera singer. They are quite vocal animals and he was no exception. Their losses were much more difficult. They all had rather disctinct behaviors/expressions and I spent a lot more time with them outside their cages letting them run around and feast on fresh veggies.

Jamb, you mention you're nocturnal but I wonder if you realize that hamsters will run on their wheels ALL night long, not just the evening hours before one goes to bed. That can be somewhat annoying unless you have a room to keep them in that separates from yours and muffles the noise. Just a thought.

 

[PintoBean]

I think it's the particular hamster...

When I was in kindergarten, we got hamster 1 from a friend because he knocked up his gal pal and was aggressive with her, so we took him home. He was an aggressive little one and I remembered that in the short car ride home he chewed up a carrot and spit it out. He broke out of his cage 2x. The first time we found him behind a bookshelf. The second time he was gone for good.

We had the cage so dad took me to Woolworth and we got Hamster #2. I loved her. I held her all the time, and I bathed her weekly in the sink and sprayed perfume on her afterwards. (WTF?!?!?!) bc that's probably my idea of a lady at 5? We only lived in that location for no more than 2 years so I didn't have the hamster long before I woke up one AM and mom and dad said she passed away. They told me she was sick and they tried giving her Robitussin but it didn't work. I do remember her being less active a few days before she passed because she wasn't hitting her wheel for exercise... Ugh... my parents lololol. They really suck at telling me when someone dies lololol... (another example - how's my great uncle? He's been dead for months! Don't you remember? No, you never told me! Oh...)

The saddest part is that it took me probably 20 years of telling that story for it to dawn on me that they didn't ACTUALLY give the hamster Robitussin, but were just spinning a tale for my 5 year old mind to accept. I still think of her. She was my first real furry friend!

 

[missy]

All this talk of our past furry family members reminds me of my sweet sweet Cornelius. My first guinea pig. I loved him so much. I think know guinea pigs are the only rodents with lips. Makes them that much more kissable! I got Damien shortly after I got Cornelius so they had each other for company when I wasn't around. No photos of Damien that I can easily find right now but IMO it's a good idea to have another as a companion for your pet.

(Photos from the 1970s in case you were wondering about the odd dress and hairstyle lol).

 

[momhappy]

guinea pigs really do make great pets. They are sweet, social, and smart little guys I know some people don't care for rats, but they make great pets too.

 

[sonnyjane]

I had, and even bred, hamsters when I was a teenager.
I loved mine ... but for intelligence and for a 'meaningful' pet that adds to your life hamsters can't compare to certain species of birds.
I read you're not partial to them, but please amuse me here.

For a first companion pet bird I recommend a cockatiel or a budgerigar, aka budgie.
In America the budgie is commonly, but incorrectly, called a parakeet.
If possible get one that was hand-fed by a competent human ... directly from the breeder you found on Google.
For this to go well it's best the chick spent no time, not even one day, being ignored by humans, sitting in a cage, at a pet shop.
It will need daily attention from you ... a time commitment ...... but totally worth it!

Companion pet birds are certainly NOT for everyone.
There is much to learn.
Their physical needs are considerable, but their social/psychological/emotional needs are much more challenging to learn about and meet.

.

If someone says they aren't home enough for a cat or dog, I would NEVER recommend a bird. I've worked with too many relinquished birds that have developed destructive behaviors (both self-destructive and toward others) from being alone all day. No. Way.

For hamsters, I had a lot of hamsters growing up. I think that I never really grieved their loss when they died because my parents were quick to replace them the next day. You'd have to make sure you got it used to being handled though - I have many horrific memories of suffering bites when we went to pick them up. If they were more used to being handled, maybe that wouldn't happen. I really had no emotional connection with them. They sleep most of the day and then at midnight you hear them running in their wheel. Not very interactive.

As Kenny and a few others have mentioned, rats are highly intelligent, make good pets that are a bit more interactive, and can be trained to do a multitude of behaviors.

 

[Karl_K]

I cried when Holly died and never got another.
She was a little cuddle bug.
It was cute she loved her ball and would follow you around the house in it.
She only lived a couple years.
Makes me sad thinking of her.
I think I was in 4th grade when I got her.

 

[missy]

Can't resist adding photos of Damien and Casey. They were super sweet. And I second all those who said rats make great pets. They are smart and personable.

 

[lovedogs]

I know many people who ADORE their guinea pigs and think they are awesome pets that are more amenable to being handled by humans compared to hamsters, etc.

I think losing any pet is sad, but they bring such joy that I think it's worth it!

 

[kenny]

If someone says they aren't home enough for a cat or dog, I would NEVER recommend a bird. I've worked with too many relinquished birds that have developed destructive behaviors (both self-destructive and toward others) from being alone all day. No. Way.

Thanks Sonnyjane.
I missed that in Jamb's OP.
Opps!

I totally totally agree!
Birds (at least the ones I'm familiar with) are extremely social and (if you have only one) need your companionship almost as much as they need food and water.

I take my conure out and about all the time.
He meets people and is very friendly.
He'll sit on their shoulder to cuddle and nibble gently on necks, hair and ears.

Over the years I've had literally hundreds of people enthralled by my friendly birds.
I have to keep telling people to NOT get a bird unless they learn TONS and are willing to practically adopt a kid.

Few people are willing or even able to change their lives enough to do a good job accomodating a companion bird.
But if more people witnessed the joy of a bird/human relationship like I have with mine many many more would give it a go.

I feel like an evangelist for a very worth cause.

 

[kenny]

Threadjack apology, but we evangelist can't resist slumming for converts.

Back to hamsters.
Being nocturnal means they want to sleep all day.
Then they are busy scurrying around their cage and running on their squeaky wheel at night.

Is that what you want?

I remember feeling a bit guilty waking up Goom Boom (yes, that was his name) when I wanted to play with him.
Understandably he was grouchy being forced to get up in the middle of his night.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Can't resist adding photos of Damien and Casey. They were super sweet. And I second all those who said rats make great pets. They are smart and personable.

soo cute, thanks for sharing this. Brings back so many happy (and funny) memories!

 

[sonnyjane]

If someone says they aren't home enough for a cat or dog, I would NEVER recommend a bird. I've worked with too many relinquished birds that have developed destructive behaviors (both self-destructive and toward others) from being alone all day. No. Way.

Thanks Sonnyjane.
I missed that in Jamb's OP.
Opps!

I totally totally agree!
Birds (at least the ones I'm familiar with) are extremely social and (if you have only one) need your companionship almost as much as they need food and water.

I take my conure out and about all the time.
He meets people and is very friendly.
He'll sit on their shoulder to cuddle and nibble gently on necks, hair and ears.

Over the years I've had literally hundreds of people enthralled by my friendly birds.
I have to keep telling people to NOT get a bird unless they learn TONS and are willing to practically adopt a kid.

Few people are willing or even able to change their lives enough to do a good job accomodating a companion bird.
But if more people witnessed the joy of a bird/human relationship like I have with mine many many more would give it a go.

I feel like an evangelist for a very worth cause.

I'm glad you came back to comment. I figured you were just passionate about birds and couldn't help yourself haha.

 

[kenny]

I'm glad you came back to comment. I figured you were just passionate about birds and couldn't help yourself haha.

True dat.
When I hear someone is deciding which kind of pet to get I barge in like a wrecking ball.

That's religion for ya.

 

[asscherisme]

Yes I think it painful and heartbreaking when you lose any living being that you love. I had guinea pigs, gerbils, and hamsters (and dogs) growing up and losing each one of them was quite heartbreaking for my whole family. I will say that when our beloved dog died that was the most horrible for everyone but I mourned quite a lot for the rest of my animals when they died.

Jambalaya, I would ask you to consider adopting two animals if you plan on getting one because if you are not home often these animals need companionship and having 2 is more humane IMO than adopting one. That goes for if it is a cat, guinea pig or hamster. Just make sure they are spayed/neutered or else you might end up with a lot of little surprises.

Good luck and I will add that I think joy of adding a beloved pet companion greatly outweighs the pain of losing them (in the long run). They add to your quality of life in immeasurable ways and by providing them with a loving home think of the good life you are giving them despite it being not very long in the measurement of human years.

I totally agree with this post. If you are going for a caged animal, I would go for a guinea pig. I had one growing up, so did my brother and they enjoyed each other's company in their cage. I think animals get lonely by themselves. Yes, losing them was very hard, and I still think of my childhood dog too, but the joy of having furry friends is worth it.

 

[asscherisme]

All this talk of our past furry family members reminds me of my sweet sweet Cornelius. My first guinea pig. I loved him so much. I think know guinea pigs are the only rodents with lips. Makes them that much more kissable! I got Damien shortly after I got Cornelius so they had each other for company when I wasn't around. No photos of Damien that I can easily find right now but IMO it's a good idea to have another as a companion for your pet.

(Photos from the 1970s in case you were wondering about the odd dress and hairstyle lol).

Aww, cute pics!

 

[Jambalaya]

Thank you very much, everyone, especially Kenny for the "birdsong"! It's nice that you sing their praises so much, Kenny, but I just want something fluffier and cuter than a bird!

Missy, thank you for the lovely photos of you and your pets. I really enjoyed them. The photos of you in the Seventies remind me of my own family albums - same kind of hair and clothes, and same kind of color fade. Such precious memories.

BTW - hamsters are solitary creatures, I read, and you can't house two together because they're very territorial and they fight. Apparently they live alone in the wild, and the pet ones don't get lonely as long as the owner interacts with them once a day.

Thank you so much to everyone who shared their experiences of hamsters, and ideas for other pets. I'm going to think about it some more. I think perhaps not a hamster - I just find the shortness of their lives a bit tragic. But then, lots of hamsters out there need homes...

 

[katharath]

Oh missy what sweet pics!! I love them!

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

BTW - hamsters are solitary creatures, I read, and you can't house two together because they're very territorial and they fight. Apparently they live alone in the wild, and the pet ones don't get lonely as long as the owner interacts with them once a day.

Thanks for this piece of information. Always important to investigate. Maybe it depends on the actual species, though.. We had two males together without any problem and even after their most epic breakout when they were on the loose for 2 months, they still made a nest together (in the pantry, inside the back case of the dryer... impossible to find...We stumbled upon them after we opened the door after a week long holiday and they led us right to their pad. Otherwise no chance to see their hiding place. Even my parents were more impressed than anything else)