New Years Eve I went to check on our little hamster, and found he had died :( he was the last of three, and around two and a half, so good innings for a hamster. I stroked his stiff and lifeless little body and then popped him back in his little house and put it in the bin, then took the bag up to the big plastic bin (the last pet we buried was dug up by the cat) I told the DC who were sad but philosophical, with my DD8 commenting, "he was a very special hamster because he died on the last day of the year"
Yesterday my DH took the lid off the bin to put a bag in and the hamsters little face suddenly popped up out of the now partly shredded bin bag, sniffed into the air a little, and then darted back inside. After the initial WTF we ripped open the bag, and found the poor little hamster, very much more alive than the last time I saw him, and apparently keen to cling onto this new found freedom. Gave the cage a damn good clean and popped him back in, with treats galore and more attention from the DC in one hour than the whole previous week. Also fielded lots of awkward questions, "but how did he dig himself out of the special place where you buried him in the garden Mummy?" etc
So here's the aibu :( I cannot seem to stop crying over the hamster, and even had multiple dreams about him last night. My DH is perplexed and keeps telling me what an adventure it must have been for him, and how he seems to have a new lease of life. My sister thinks he must have been dying and the fresh air brought him back to life, or maybe she's just trying to make me feel better. But I feel horrible, really awful, and tortured by the fact I put him in the bin. It's not lost on me that I'm far more upset now than when I thought he was dead :( I've since googled it and realised he must have been hibernating, but he was stiff as a board with his eyes half open, he really did look dead, plus I'd never heard of a hamster doing that!
I need to get a grip don't i? Or do I deserve to be feeling like the most evil person in the world :
WIBU to try and raises some awareness of hamster hibernation? It might make me feel better.