A Hamster Obituary

Peanut

August 2010 - October 2011

Peanut died peacefully in his sleep early Thursday morning, October 6, 2011. Peanut was a gentle hamster, known as "Tink-Tink" to his family because he liked to prank them in the middle of the night by incessantly ringing his bell. As was common to nocturnal animals, he slept most days and played hard while everyone was trying to sleep. He enjoyed travelling in his ball, rearranging his bedding, and climbing in and out of toilet paper roll tubes. He is survived by his family: Super D, justjennifer, A, and C.

We awoke Thursday morning to find that Peanut had died sometime during the night. He could have been sleeping, had we been able to see the rise and fall of his back; he looked so peaceful. A was very sad. I'm glad she held him Wednesday night. I woke Super D because I figured him to be the only one who would touch Peanut. I woke C, expecting him to be sad, but I didn't expect him to cry so hard. So, we stood in the rain as Super D dug a small hole in the backyard and gently placed in the hole the glasses case which acted as the hamster's coffin. A and Super D said a short prayer. C said he was too sad to go to school.

Call me callous, but I found no sadness in our hamster's death. I knew from the moment A purchased him that his days were numbered. I played with him. I babysat him while A cleaned out his cage. I watched him play. I even took him to school with me so that my class could enjoy him. I enjoyed having him in the house. But I never thought of a hamster as part of our family.

What did break my heart was the look on my son's face when he learned of Peanut's death. I broke down and cried, too. It hurt when C asked to pet him one last time. And I tear up every time his voice shakes as he says how much he misses Peanut. I wish I could spare him from that pain.