Accidently killed my dds gerbil :(

[charliecat]

Today I let dds gerbils out for a run and when I was catching the second one I pushed the door shut and he dived under it then had a mad fit and was bleeding from his ear and he died about 20 seconds later.
I have been crying on and off all afternoon and cant get it out of my head.
DD was crying too, when she realised, and said she wanted another one.
I cant face getting the other one out of its cage and the thought of shopping for a new one makes me feel evil.
Sympathy please

Charlie cat, I have been crying myself out in front of my computer many times and DH who is sitting working in his less than 2 meters away doesn't realise about it and he is supposed to be awake

How did he take it when you told him?

Opps! just missed you, hope you have a good rest and wake up feeling a bit better.

{{hugs{}}}

Chandra

men just dont get it do they? they just sit there looking all awkard. hope you feel a bit better in the morn xx

How are you today Charliecat?

Hi Charliecat, just wanted to say that having pets is a gentle way for children to learn about life and death and it is much better for your child to learn one of life's toughest things - the death of a loved one whether by accident, illness or old age, with a pet than with a person. One day if ever your child has to cope with the death of a person, she will be far better prepared for it now.

As for your dp, don't be too hard on him. They always want to put things right for you, and if they can't (in this case bring the gerbil back to life) they get all confused and back off. They have a hard time understanding that usually all we want is a cuddle and some sympathy.

Firstly Thanks everyone, Anorak, it did occur to me it was a good thing in a not good way for dd as she loves the cat to death and ive had nightmares thinking how she will react when he goes. She seems fine this morning and im not going to encourage the purchase of a new gerby but if she asks im not going to say no.
Shes the sort of kid that will say in 6 months, you were meant to get me a new Gerby, and if thats what happens then I will deal with in then.
Last night was torture, I didnt get to sleep till gone 3am I was singing humpty dumpty to myself because every time I stopped singing it would repeat in my mind. Same thing when I woke up this morning. Felt like I was going mad
With dp I sent him a text saying, Thank You for being so supportive after my traumatic day, dont know what I would have done without you.
He rang and said he didnt know what to say, I said well you asked if i was ok and i said not really and you just sat there, why did you bother asking, then his mobile reception went and that was that.
Hope time heals my brain, cant get it out of my head, is there anything for it??? Herbal or something?

poor you charliecat

this reminds me of the time my mum put my sister's gerbil cage (she had 13 gerbils all called Dennis) in the conservatory and covered them with a black bin liner in the summer of '76. Mass overheated gerbil carnage ensued

in fact my mum has a terrible history with rodents ... when she was at primary school she was given the school hamster to look after in the summer holidays - it lived in a glass tank type of thing with a sliding door. Somehow she managed to decapitate the hamster when she accidentally let the sliding door drop guillotine stylee. She's still getting over the trauma 60 years later!

Bloody Hell Spacemonkey! I think this will be with me for 60 years.
I have thought it good it was the 2nd Gerby and not the first as sure as hell the cat would have got the 2nd one when I freaked about the 1st one. Still feeling ill here thinking about it.

When I was 8 I was bought a white mouse with pink eyes, it was horrible. Every day I would have to clean the bl**dy thing out, I really did dislike it. When we went away it always went to a neighbour and when we came back it had always been 'ressurrected' as it had died. This mouse lived for nearly 6 years! They thought I did not know it was being replaced everytime it died, well the story ends because one day I was cleaning the little rodent out in the kitchen and the cat jumped in the window and had an early tea they couldn't replace it then as I had watched its demise with gleefull horror

Sorry I know this does not help you, but children really do notice if it is replaced, have you tried sending a ballon with a message on it up to 'gerbil Heaven'

Hi Charliecat - well at least dp admitted he didn't know what to say - you might get a bit more sympathy when he gets back.

Get out in to the sunshine and do something nice - that might help you feel a bit better too.

I think it is only time that heals upsetting things like this. If you see your dd taking it in her stride, this might help you too.

Well this has ended on a happy note, I just wish it hadnt happened in the first place, but we painted a stone for the Gerbys grave at the weekend, and had another cry and said goodbye.
Then yesterday I went to the pet shop and brought another one which she has called Patch and other dd (3.5) said with a grin, Mine might die Mummy then I could get a new one.
I thought she might say something like that! but dds are both happy and the new Gerby is keeping the old fat one young so i just thought id let you know.
DP is nearly forgiven.

Just seen your update charliecat. Glad things feel better

TWG,thanks, just refound this thread as another MNetter was asking about the gerby and I have copied and pasted the link as I still cant bear to think about it. Dp has been making a new cage/run thing for them today as I havent had them run about since that day, I have had them out on our hands but its not the same. DD has been odd about all things dead since BTW, like a stuffed bear in a local pub, she saw it, like she has 10 times before but after this she was soo soo sad about it.