Our hamster has died and I can't believe how upset I feel

[Polgara2]

I expected the girls to be distraught - and they are - but am taken aback by how upset I am as well. Mind you it was pretty horrible. I have been worried about her for a while now she was acting like a little old lady. Something prompted me to pick her up this afternoon and she was barely with us. We all managed to give her a cuddle before she went. She started haemorrhaging when I was holding her which I didn't expect and died a few minutes later. DD2 has only just got to stopped crying and got to sleep. She is ill as well so it's just a bit too much for her I think. Oh god we all loved that hamster - dh has taken the cage away and we are going to have a funeral tommorrow because that's what the girls want. She has a special box made for her and some flowers - am I cracking up here with this level of detail for a hamster? But it is what they want so that's what we are doing.

Polgara have lost our bunny this week and more threads of lost pets , Orm has lost two rats this week!
Regardless it's very for anyone to loose a pet !

so sorry polgara2. Hamsters have a way of finding their way into your lives like any other pet. We lost our first ever hamster after just four months and we were all upset. Our current one is an absolute darling and he's already been with us twice as long as the first. We will all be heartbroken when he goes. Do whatever you all need to do for the funeral and I hope you feel better soon.

Oh, I'm really sad for you.

It is usually the first time that children learn about death and it is important that they have 'closure' on the little hamster that they loved.
I get terribly upset when we lose any of our animals and we have an area of the garden where the pets we loved are buried.

for you - it may be that losing the hamster is just proving to be an outlet for other pent-up emotions (for whatever reason); or it might be that you are sad for your DDs as much as sad for losing the hamster.
Either way, it is perfectly ok to do what your DDs want to say goodbye to their beloved pet.

I know - this is the first time they have experienced the death of a pet - this is their first pet that they could interact with (we'd only had fish before).

Thumbwitch - yes I think it is reminding me that my Mum died last year, she more or less went whilst I watched and I am so not over that yet.

Your hamster was a (very little and furry) part of your family. You mourn her and do whatever you feel helps you come to terms with this.

(((HUG)))

for you Polgara, and know how you feel - I also lost my mum last year and we were all with her at the end - hardest night of my life. It might be a good opportunity to let out some of that grief - you might find that it is cathartic.

Thank you everyone - I am sitting here on my own feeling sorry for myself - the children are in bed and dh has gone out and I am grateful for the interaction and sympathy.

if it doesn't hurt too much, you could spend the time remembering the good times with your mum. (((hugs))) for you anyway.

Polgara - hope the funeral went ok and you are feeling better today

I am thank you thumbwitch. Yes funeral has been held and hamster is now peacefully residing in the garden! The girls wanted to say goodbye again so she had to be unwrapped and stroked - fortunately she had been in the very cold garage so was not too smelly just yet just very very cold. They have instructed DH to make a cross to mark her grave! Dd2 (8) very solemnly told me that she is not sure that she ever wants another pet because she doesn't want to feel like this again - she really is such a sweetheart. Dd1 (11) spent the day being consoled by her friends and teachers at school - one teacher gave her 2 merits one for her and one for hamster!

awwwwww (HUGS)

I have hammies and have had 7 die over the years, gen one a year and it is HEARTBREAKING

dh and i always cry (dont let him know i said that)

they are part of our family, and give us great amusement

we have had funeral for all of ours and get a dog tag engraved with their name date of birth/death and then bury in our garden by fence and put tag on fence

have to say it help to get another little furry friend asap, we normally have 2, and when one dies get another baby within a few days

Polgara 2- I admit Ihave always had little funerals for my guineapigs - and I always kept a small snip of their fur as well! - and I only started keeping g'pigs when I was 25!

have never kept their fur, though i do put in their coffin a choccy treat for them