Was IBU to freeze DD’s hamster?

[SandyDrawsBadly]

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!

We had a gerbil die while we were on holiday. My friend who was looking after the pets popped it in the freezer. We had a funeral when we got home. DC coped really well.

Grandma died on the DTs birthday, alas we could not freeze her. It was not their best birthday.

We told ds when he was about 7 that Cookie the hamster had run away. We knew this was not the case as we found suspicious bits of fluff in the hallway near the smug looking cat

This has to be one of the best thread titles on mumsnet of all time!

I too have a freezer full of (double-bagged) dead rodents because I have pet snakes, so I don't think this is weird at all. I regularly put my own food in the freezer alongside the rats and mice and nothing bad has happened to me yet. Of course, I might just have developed a cast-iron immune system.

For goodness sake, everyone, rtft - the OP has answered all the questions about why her daughter didn't notice the hamster had gone, and why she didn't buy a secret replacement. It sounds like exactly the sort of thing I would do, so obviously I'm going to say you were entirely reasonable and not at all batshit

I don't think you were being unreasonable. I think it was a very loving and kind thing to do.

at "special hamster cemetery"

You are a genius and a good mum

Sounds like you put great thought into your actions. That's being a damn good dm imo.

That is a weird thing to do.

I would have just buried it.

I'm surprised noone has mentioned yet that hamsters hibernate. Are you SURE it was dead and you didn't just put a hibernating, but very much alive, hamster in your freezer with the peas?!

(asking as a child who suffered three hamster 'deaths' in my family, before vet friend explained about hibernation process and showed that a stiff cold body does not automatically = dead hamster. Fourth hamster luckily escaped premature burial, but I remain traumatised by thoughts the first three woke up post burial....)

I actually don’t think this is that weird. Anyone who has smelt a decaying mouse corpse will appreciate what you were trying to avoid.

They hibernate???

OMG there's going to be a zombie hamster emerging from the "special cemetery" any day now

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?

^And this. Please don't get her another 'stupid fucking hamster' that she doesn't give a shit about.

Back in my student days, I knew someone who moved into a somewhat grotty rental house with a huge chest freezer full of old stuff left by the landlords/previous occupants. They lived there several months before discovering a West Highland White terrier in a bag at the bottom - apparently the ground had been frozen solid when the dog had died so the landlord had popped him in there until he could bury him and forgotten. Now that must have been a shock!

We did something similar , We had 2 Chinese hamsters, one died , we did not want to upset our DD , so we kept saying things like " oh look there's CH no 1 or look there's CH no 2 " , then No 2 CH died !.
My DD , bless her said "its ok we still have another one !"
We then had to fess up that they had both died .
We laugh about it now lol .

As Line of Duty's Lindsey Denton would say:

"Frankly for you, this is a Forensic Ground Zero".

Bleeeurgh. Don't ever invite me around for dinner

Where I grew up the ground is frozen for a good few months each winter. If a pet dies over winter the freezer is the only option really, either yours or the vets. I think you did the right thing op.

BassAce, I had wondered that, but it's spring rather than Autumn, so surely its waking up season?

I think it was a stroke of genius.

This is brilliant

The hibernation thing is why I didn’t think the hamster on a radiator story was weird, one of mine was revived on a hot water bottle a couple of times!

As for freezing to delay the announcement? I think it was a kind and thoughtful thing to do, you still allowed your child to grieve their pet but at a time you knew they would be able to cope better.

I know about hamster hibernating, but this most definitely was a dead hamster. She was old and it was on the cards. Just not the birthday ones.

spiderlight 😳

OP, you have made me smile. I bet you're a great mum.

I understand not wanting to tell her the hamster died on her birthday, but why freeze and defrost it? Surely you could have just disposed of it on the day, waited a couple of days, and then broken the news to her? She doesn’t need to see the corpse!