This is overdue but I have been having a tough time coming to terms with it together with my final university exams. Now they are over I feel ready to share.
Bear my black hammy was pts on 30th March at age 3 years 3 months.
Back in 2010, I had 2 hammies and was becoming a mini hamster addict. After seeing a picture of a black hamster I decided it was so unusual (at the time only having seen goldens, creams & greys) and I really wanted one.
On Valentines day my partner took me to a local chain store to see if there were any black hammies. Sadly there weren't but he assured me he would get me a "gothic" hammy for valentines.
We found a larger chain store not far so drove out there. There were no black hammies and we asked if there were any more in the back. The staff brought out a bin cage full of new babies...all black longhaired!
I was in total delight as I browsed over the little ones waiting to be picked. A black longhaired caught my eye, his skirt very full and slightly grey at the ends but my partner was adament on a huge short haired baby. Something prompted me to give in and with that Bear chose us.
We had a spare cage after upgrading beforehand so everything was ready for him. Here he was when he got home
I wanted to call him Taz or Gomez but he was the biggest hamster we had seen we settled for Bear.
That night while he was in his wheel we noticed some blood and saw his paw was covered. We rang the store who told us to bring him back and they would treat. We had to have him refunded to us and this bothered me.
A few days passed and I called to see how he was and was told he was fine. Hour later I rang and they said he had died. I was confused by this and that is when I found HC. I asked if legally they could not give him back to me. Long story short..I spent an hour in the shop demanding he was found,arguing with managers, he had been misplaced behind some stock and probably would have gone unoticed had I not made such a fuss. He had been on baytril though. The staff had put him as lost stock so I got him free together with lots of vouchers and apologies. I was determined to have him and fight for him back.
I think he had been in a fight and he had lost a little toe. From then on he was called my disabled ham.
Bear quickly showed us that he had no care for toys, wheels, exploring..just sleeping & eating.
I started to learn there was so much I had wrong with hammies through HC and got my first cambridge from ebay. I learnt there were hamster shows nearby and started making friends on and off the forum, many whom 3 years on I am still friends with, one as far as Canada whom I am hopefully going to visit next year and has become like a sister!
A whole new world opened up to me and I ended up getting more hams and trying out new cages like the zoozone and making a bin cage.
I took Bear to some local shows but bless him he never placed higher than highly commended.
Bear always drew plenty of attention for his large size and his colour.
He really loved sitting on his log bridge
He even tried to woo a fellow HC ham, moderator Hope's "Phoebe"
Bear travelled everywhere with us, even 5 hours away to stay at a cottage near Hadrian Wall! He didn't mind at all & slept all the way.
He was such a gentle soul and always came out of his bed to greet me no matter what time..often I would walk past the hammy room mid afternoon and on walking back find him meercatting looking at me with his little white paws and white belly stripe.
I nearly lost Bear so many times. Since we had him he had always had a sniffle which we thought was cute. However upon losing weight the vet told us he had small lungs and it was a birth defect. She told me he probably wouldn't live past a year and a half. He was given some meds and pulled through. From then onwards he had around 5 scares where I had to massage him awake from a coma like state..each time saying my goodbyes and being proved wrong!
As he approached 2 years I noticed his sides getting a bit more rounded. The vet confirmed they were tumours but no point operating. He continued to eat and sleep so I left him be.
As he approached 3 years old I think I thought he was immortal. Sleeping more and the occassional crusty eye, he still came out to greet me and could use his ball. His sides were bulging which upset me but as he was still the same old guy I left him be..even still monkey barring!
He never browned and never lost fur. He started fallign asleep after being out for 5 minutes and I realised he was starting to get tired. Here he was on his last night out with me before his health turned.
A few days before the 30th of March I noticed his food was untouched and he was still sleeping. By now I had modified his cage to having no levels. I gently rolled him over and found his tummy wet and he wouldnt take food.
I nursed him all night doing my best to get hm to eat but finally realising he was ready to go to the bridge. The vet was amazed at his age and said there was very little of him left aside from the tumours. He went with the gas alone.
I am still extremely upset about losing him but feel I had him given back to me more occassions than I was meant to. He never once bit me in his life even when in pain, being cleaned..anything. I do wonder if the small whisky soaked raisin I gave him all those years ago when I thought he was hibernating stayed in him system kept him going
So this is a long memorial and plenty I could add but he is the reason I found HC and found my hamily. I am so lucky he chose me and the pawprint he has left on my heart is extremely deep. I love you Bear man and I forever will.
Farewell Bear: through you I found HC
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