GhostsInSnow
12-06-2015, 03:09 PM
Can't believe I'm doing another memorial thread, I hate this time of year. I'm sorry if this turns out to be a LONG post, Willow was my heart hammie and incredibly special :/
I got you 27th September 2013, a day after my heart hammie Fudge passed away. I was determined to get a Chinesey and, with the next hammie show being 2 months away I decided to search pet shops, I'd tried several with no luck before phoning my local P@H and asking if they had any. When I got there, you were the first one that came out and I was smitten. The way you clung your tiny paws to me melted my heart and when we got home and I got you out, you chose to curl up in my hand and go to sleep. Right at that moment I knew we were going to have one of those extra special bonds.
You didn't need the settling down period that most hams need when they go to a new home, you wanted to be out all the time, sitting on my chest or snuggling into my neck. I took you to the hamster show 2 months later, my first show and your first show too and you got Reserve in pet class, I was so so proud of you, everyone wanted to steal you!
You accompanied me to every single hamster show I attended after that one, I didn't always enter you in pet class but when I did you never came less than third. I'd have taken you everywhere with me if I could and I know you'd have happily come with me as well.
You helped me through the death of my Great-Uncle, then my Uncle a few months later, you helped me through countless pet losses, mental health declines, physical health problems, an horrendously bad break up and having to completely quit university. It didn't matter why I needed you or for how long, you were always there.
You won absolutely everyone over with your baby face and your clingy little paws, I got such lovely comments about you at pretty much every show we went to.
You always knew when I needed you or if I wasn't doing so well before I even realised it myself. You'd frantically run up and down your cage asking to come out and then you'd sit on my knee and hold my finger in your little paws like you were telling me it was going to be okay. Some people have therapists or therapy dogs, I had a therapy hamster and that was you. My best friend, therapist and anti-depressant all rolled into one.
The last show I took you too was in August where you got First Place in Dwarf Pet Class.
When I started college in September, within a week you'd adjusted to my routine. When I came home you'd be up waiting to say hello to me and every night before bed we'd have at least half an hour of cuddles.
When a new friend from college came over to see the hamily, she fell in love with you. She'd never owned a hamster before but after meeting you she went straight out and got her own Chinesey. That's how much everyone loved you.
You never showed any health problems apart from when you got stressed out by your cage, but a cage downsize sorted that and you were right back to your usual happy and cuddly self. On 13th November I got you out for cuddles and you weren't right, your tummy was huge. An emergency vet trip didn't find anything major, no lumps or fluid build ups so I was told to bring you home and monitor you but take you back if things got worse.
Despite being poorly you still wanted to be out with me, you wouldn't let anyone else hold you and you wouldn't go back to your cage until you knew I was okay. You weren't toileting so I was advised to try a little veg or olive oil and that helped you but you started to bleed. The vets gave us antibiotics as a last resort and you seemed a little brighter on them but I was warned that if you declined again you'd have to make that final journey.
You finished your antibiotics and your tummy got big again. I knew that you were still relatively comfortable but needed help to the bridge. I made the dreaded phonecall on the Tuesday night and got you an appointment for the Thursday morning. As selfish as it sounds, I wasn't ready to say goodbye and I felt an extra day would be okay. I was dreading making that decision though and I think you knew that. After cuddles on Wednesday morning (25th November), I found you in your forever sleep on the afternoon. You'd gone peacefully in your nest. You always looked after me and the last thing you did was to take away that awful decision. I'd have made it for you but you made it for me.
I didn't get to say goodbye right at the end, nor did I get to cuddle you until you took your last breath, something I'd have fought for if we'd gone to the vets, but I hope you know how much I loved you and how truly special you were and still are. I have your ashes here with me so you're always close by ad you will forever be in my heart.
I will NEVER forget you, you touched a lot of peoples lives and made a huge impact for such a tiny girl. Play well at the rainbow bridge Willow, eat all the chocolate drops you can find and run as much as you like on the flying saucer. I hope there's a wooden train for you as that was your favourite toy.
34313
I got you 27th September 2013, a day after my heart hammie Fudge passed away. I was determined to get a Chinesey and, with the next hammie show being 2 months away I decided to search pet shops, I'd tried several with no luck before phoning my local P@H and asking if they had any. When I got there, you were the first one that came out and I was smitten. The way you clung your tiny paws to me melted my heart and when we got home and I got you out, you chose to curl up in my hand and go to sleep. Right at that moment I knew we were going to have one of those extra special bonds.
You didn't need the settling down period that most hams need when they go to a new home, you wanted to be out all the time, sitting on my chest or snuggling into my neck. I took you to the hamster show 2 months later, my first show and your first show too and you got Reserve in pet class, I was so so proud of you, everyone wanted to steal you!
You accompanied me to every single hamster show I attended after that one, I didn't always enter you in pet class but when I did you never came less than third. I'd have taken you everywhere with me if I could and I know you'd have happily come with me as well.
You helped me through the death of my Great-Uncle, then my Uncle a few months later, you helped me through countless pet losses, mental health declines, physical health problems, an horrendously bad break up and having to completely quit university. It didn't matter why I needed you or for how long, you were always there.
You won absolutely everyone over with your baby face and your clingy little paws, I got such lovely comments about you at pretty much every show we went to.
You always knew when I needed you or if I wasn't doing so well before I even realised it myself. You'd frantically run up and down your cage asking to come out and then you'd sit on my knee and hold my finger in your little paws like you were telling me it was going to be okay. Some people have therapists or therapy dogs, I had a therapy hamster and that was you. My best friend, therapist and anti-depressant all rolled into one.
The last show I took you too was in August where you got First Place in Dwarf Pet Class.
When I started college in September, within a week you'd adjusted to my routine. When I came home you'd be up waiting to say hello to me and every night before bed we'd have at least half an hour of cuddles.
When a new friend from college came over to see the hamily, she fell in love with you. She'd never owned a hamster before but after meeting you she went straight out and got her own Chinesey. That's how much everyone loved you.
You never showed any health problems apart from when you got stressed out by your cage, but a cage downsize sorted that and you were right back to your usual happy and cuddly self. On 13th November I got you out for cuddles and you weren't right, your tummy was huge. An emergency vet trip didn't find anything major, no lumps or fluid build ups so I was told to bring you home and monitor you but take you back if things got worse.
Despite being poorly you still wanted to be out with me, you wouldn't let anyone else hold you and you wouldn't go back to your cage until you knew I was okay. You weren't toileting so I was advised to try a little veg or olive oil and that helped you but you started to bleed. The vets gave us antibiotics as a last resort and you seemed a little brighter on them but I was warned that if you declined again you'd have to make that final journey.
You finished your antibiotics and your tummy got big again. I knew that you were still relatively comfortable but needed help to the bridge. I made the dreaded phonecall on the Tuesday night and got you an appointment for the Thursday morning. As selfish as it sounds, I wasn't ready to say goodbye and I felt an extra day would be okay. I was dreading making that decision though and I think you knew that. After cuddles on Wednesday morning (25th November), I found you in your forever sleep on the afternoon. You'd gone peacefully in your nest. You always looked after me and the last thing you did was to take away that awful decision. I'd have made it for you but you made it for me.
I didn't get to say goodbye right at the end, nor did I get to cuddle you until you took your last breath, something I'd have fought for if we'd gone to the vets, but I hope you know how much I loved you and how truly special you were and still are. I have your ashes here with me so you're always close by ad you will forever be in my heart.
I will NEVER forget you, you touched a lot of peoples lives and made a huge impact for such a tiny girl. Play well at the rainbow bridge Willow, eat all the chocolate drops you can find and run as much as you like on the flying saucer. I hope there's a wooden train for you as that was your favourite toy.
34313