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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Was IBU to freeze DD’s hamster?

336 replies

SandyDrawsBadly · 01/03/2019 09:33

I came downstairs on DDs Birthday to find that Wonder Woman the hamster was dead. Stupid fucking hamster

I didn’t want to upset DD on her birthday so didn’t tell her before I dropped her at school. I doubled checked when I got home in case it had been sleeping, but this was one cold dead stiff hamster and it’s red eyes were all grey, so it was definitely dead.

I didn’t want to ruin her birthday, but I didn’t want a slowly decomposing hamster in the warm living room either. so I popped it into a freezer bag and hid it underneath the frozen veg out of the way. I got her out the next day, defrosted her in the cage and “discovered” her death the next morning. Two days post birthday.

I was telling my friend but she said this was ridiculous over protective parenting.

So, was I unreasonable to freeze the hamster and has anyone else done stuff to save upset as I can’t be the only one, surely!

OP posts:
hoodathunkit · 01/03/2019 10:00

Freezings the hamster was not the smartest move.

You could have popped to the local pet shop and purchased a replacement without your DDs knowledge.

I had a 10 year old hamster when I was a kid due to this kind of clandestine hamster replacement.

mogtheexcellent · 01/03/2019 10:00

We froze a neighbours hamster when it died two days into their holiday and we were looking after it. My mum rolled in plastic bag and then covered with foil. Did nearly get mistaken for garlic baguette one night but otherwise all ok.

Neighbours were grateful they could do a burial.

My nan did once try and revive a dead hamster by putting it on the radiator. The radiator was switched off fortunately. She was a bit gaga at that stage.

shpoot · 01/03/2019 10:01

Hope I never have to freeze and defrost my grandma Shock. There's not enough room in my freezer next to the brexit stash

BusySittingDown · 01/03/2019 10:01

Wasn't there a thread YEARS ago about a hamster being cooked in a stew or something? I'm sure it's in classics. I think it was a troll - or Cod mucking about.

YankeeDad · 01/03/2019 10:01

Am I the only one to think that was actually pretty clever?

Janedoughnut · 01/03/2019 10:02

Am I the only one thinking that if I lived in the OPs house and she bought a chest freezer I'd be bloody terrified if I was feeling a bit poorlyGrin

SleepingStandingUp · 01/03/2019 10:03

OP I think you're lovely.

Crazy. But lovely.

womaninatightspot · 01/03/2019 10:03

Our elderly cat died just before christmas. Told them a few days after as we didn't want to upset christmas. They hadn't noticed.

SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc · 01/03/2019 10:04

This is brilliant

kingsleysbootlicker · 01/03/2019 10:05

You did the right thing imo. But then we have mice in our freezer for our cornsnake so I wouldn't see a hamster as any different. I think what you did was very kind to your dd Smile

And just to add, hamsters are nocturnal... a child at school who goes to bed at a decent time could easily go days without seeing a pet one

dutysuite · 01/03/2019 10:05

This sort of reminds me about when my childhood friend's cat had kittens and they died. Her mum wrapped them up in kitchen towel and left them ON TOP of their fridge for two days! I was about 13 and just felt that it was a very sad thing to do.

M4J4 · 01/03/2019 10:05

Is it funny now to call a tiny animal a 'stupid fucking hamster'? Hmm

You've been watching too much Everybody Loves Raymond. Stay away from 90s sitcoms.

Mummyoflittledragon · 01/03/2019 10:05

😂😂😂 you say your dd is young - she clearly isn’t as old as 10 if she had a soft play party then went to bed. I think it was a good choice tbh.

When dd was 7 we didn’t revive our much loved family dog after he was put under anaesthesia to investigate a blockage, which turned out to be very much end of life problems and he was suffering greatly. Dh came back from work and we went to say goodbye and waited in the vets office with him until he died. Dd was at school at the time. We told dd he’d died on the operating table - old age complications. No need for her to know the truth.

WorraLiberty · 01/03/2019 10:05

Why type all that and leave out your daughter's age?

AryaStarkWolf · 01/03/2019 10:05

omg that's so fucked up Grin

PussGirl · 01/03/2019 10:07

clandestine hamster replacement - great phrase Grin

I think you did the right thing OP - it was wrapped up & not contaminating anything else.

BTW Wonder Woman??? Grin Hmm

Missnearlyvintage · 01/03/2019 10:07

YANBU. It seemed like a sensible thing for you to do so as not to taint the birthday celebrations.

Even if children do not seem particularly attached to pets etc. one can never be sure of how they will react when one dies...

I wouldn't do it with a larger pet though!

Meralia · 01/03/2019 10:08

Brilliant idea! Who wants an upset child on their birthday?

I’d have done this OP, your dd didn’t have her birthday marred by losing the hamster.

Plipplops · 01/03/2019 10:09

When I was little my mum froze my fish when he died and I wasn’t there, seems pretty normal to me?!

Mummyoflittledragon · 01/03/2019 10:09

I don’t agree with clandestinely replacing pets. Death is an inevitable part of life. Children will be far more accepting when their parents or other significant loved ones die if they understand death is part of life and already have experience of grief.

outpinked · 01/03/2019 10:09

at will you do if it happens to something bigger, like a dog, or grandma??

Hopefully she won’t put Grandma in the freezer Grin.

This is pretty funny OP, I think you handled it fine.

Original poster
SandyDrawsBadly · 01/03/2019 10:10

Ok first off, not trolling. Though I kind of wish I’d changed my name after discovering that I’m weird and batshit as well as being unreasonable Grin

I didn’t want to buy another hamster as she needs to understand that pets die. Also, we have a cat now so the pet thing is covered.

A grandma has already died but she was a bit young to understand that she was not coming back.

To be clear, if it hadn’t been her birthday we’d have had the tearful goodbye that morning and I would’ve taken Wonder Woman to the “Special Hamster Cemetary” aka the bin, while she was at school.

OP posts:
StoppinBy · 01/03/2019 10:10

Watch all the people get up in arms about putting the hamster in the freezer while having the other drawers stuffed with chickens, pigs and lambs Wink

The vets put all their PTS animals in the freezer until they are disposed of so I can't see the difference although I do wonder why your DD wouldn't have noticed her hamster was gone for the day.

howwillwedeal · 01/03/2019 10:10

Your daughter hasn't noticed the hamster is dead and you don't think she going to notice the hamster is dead for the rest of the day? Your daughter doesn't care for the hamster, it won't ruin her birthday so just tell her?

NannyRed · 01/03/2019 10:11

I don’t think you were being unreasonable, you didn’t want to spoil her birthday so you did what you deemed necessary.

As a parent it’s our job to protect our children, we all have different ideas. Obviously your friend is more on the death is a ‘brutal reality of life’ camp. I think you did the right thing.