DS hamster has died

[ADsBadAccent]

DS got a hamster for his 5th birthday. I've just gone to feed her a bit of carrot and she is curled up in her bed, and has died. I now, stupidly, am sat sobbing for this little creature who didn't even like us very much, and at the thought of telling DS. I don't really know what to do. So far she is in a very small box still in her cage. What do I do with her? How do I tell DS?

Sorry for being so ridiculous

Are you 100% sure she's died? She may be hibernating. Have a google before doing anything else

Will google now but pretty sure she has died. She wasnt breathing at all and I gave her bed a good tap and wobble before opening it up to have a look

I had to tell my DS his g.pig died when he was 6.. I was simply factual, told him I had some very sad news that g.pig had died..He cried and was cuddled. I asked him if he wanted to be part of burial..He said no so I buried him while he watched TV..

I'm so sorry. You're not ridiculous; I too, sobbed at the passing of our beloved little gerbils - both of them. Ds and I made lovely little boxes and buried them in our garden. We loved them ❤️

Not ridiculous at all. We've been through countless hamsters over the years and I cry every time.
With my DDs I have always said I have some sad news to tell them - that their hamster has died. I let them hold the hamster and say goodbye then we put it in a small box with comfy bedding (lightbulb boxes are perfect) and then bury it and each say a few words.
I think it helped them to hold the hamsters. A few hamsters they have held while they took their last breaths.
Pets are a really good way of introducing kids to death and grief.
When my dad died a couple of years ago my DDs then aged 13 and 10 went to see him in his coffin. They both held his hands and I think it helped the youngest that we could say he would feel cold like the hamsters had.
I hope it goes ok tomorrow.

Oh dear, your replies have made me all teary again! Thank you for the advice, he wasn't very interested in the hamster lately (I was realising I was silly for letting him talk me into getting one!) but he is a sensitive little thing and will be sad tomorrow

Options:
A) have a factual chat about life and death etc and use this as an important life lesson etc etc
B) buy an identical hamster and pretend it didn't happen, save the chat for later.

Make sure it's dead! How long did you have it? We bought DD2 a hamster around that age, and DD1 had just died, too. Whaddya know, the damn thing up and died about a week later. No pet shops open. Shit! We swapped it out with a friend's hamster and she was none the wiser. We've since had several more hammies, we have a lovely black and white one now who's nearly 2, and I cry every time they cross rainbow bridge. I'd try to swap it out, tbh.

My DM has suggested option B too

Definitely stick it on a gently warm hot water bottle just to be sure. They do weirdly reanimate sometimes.

Less then a year, am worried she is hibernating now but shes in a warm, well used room with lots of bedding, food etc so would she be hibernating? Her wake pattern had changed recently but i assumed she was just coming out to play after I was in bed as I'd been having early nights..

Not sure how we would get a new one without DS noticing but might send DH out for a look around tomorrow, she is completely black and was the only one like her in the shop!

I mean her, sorry

And probably place, rather than stick

nodogs

Both my hamsters hibernated in our warm house. One around Easter time so not that cold outside.

When hibernating they go completely stiff and look dead. Agree with pp please try to slowly and gently bring the hamster around by gently warming him. Google ways to do it.

Best of luck

I'm going to try and bring her round before burying her, I'm terrified of burying her alive. If she does suddenly start moving I will update here and be really relieved! Thanks all

Good luck!

At 5 you should have the pet died chat...Part of the thing of having pets is to teach them about death ( not the on;y reason obviously) ...It is far easier to teach them about death of a hamster than a family member.

To be honest, the pets dying before people ship has already sailed as he lost two grandparents in the space of a few months just before he was 4. Anyway, sadly I'm pretty sure she has died, no amount of google results has woken her. I decided to tell DS rather then replace her and he had a cry and a cuddle, asked a few questions but is ok. He doesn't want to bury her though, would like to keep her so that will take some persuading I'm sure! Thanks for all your advice

Aw, that's a shame. RIP hamster.

At least you tried to bring her around, so you won't ever be wondering "what if".

Sorry for the loss of your son's grandparents too.

For what it's worth, indefinitely think you've done the right thing telling him.

*I definitely

Thanks Wishing he's taken it well but then 5 year olds are often thinking about themselves and has already asked if we can have another!