[Maker]

RIP Pietro, he had gentle passing and was very loved, may your grief pass so you can remember him without sadness.

What you describe with thinking he had passed is not unusual, my old hamster man also did this before passing gently away.

On a lighter note my mum when we were very little wrapped my hamster in newspaper and put him in the dustbin as he had died and found him later in the day sat on the top of the bin.