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Pebbles82 · 05-08-2021, 04:34 PM

I am so sorry and completely understand about her being part of the family. It is incredibly hard to cope with. You had a bond. It is also incredibly sad that she died at just 6 months old - so young. This does happen sometimes - but thankfully rarely - and it is most likely she was born with some genetic weakness - a weak heart maybe. This kind of thing can also come from bad breeding (pet shop hamsters have very uncertain breeding). But is a lottery as well. Even pure bred hamsters from breeders, with a pedigree, can have one born with a weakness.

The hardest thing is the cage being there empty. I always find it helps to cover it up with a blanket until you feel ready to empty it out, clean it and put it away. It can make the grief much harder with the cage sitting there.

You may feel it is too soon to think about getting another one and it wouldn't replace Nibs - but I have found it actually really helps to get another one. In fact I started keeping two so if one died we still had one that needed caring for and it wasn't quite such a sudden change of lifestyle.

A new hamster will be a different personality - they are all different. It helps to get one a different colour maybe, and sometimes even a different species - so it doesn't remind you too much.

Sorry I just reread - you said a huge gap where the cage sat so you've probably already removed it. Maybe rearrange things a bit in the room for now so the gap isn't there looking at you. I haven often set up a cage in a different room after one has died when we get another one - so the habits are slightly different and less of a painful reminder.

05-08-2021, 04:34 PM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Our young hamster has died I am so sorry and completely understand about her being part of the family. It is incredibly hard to cope with. You had a bond. It is also incredibly sad that she died at just 6 months old - so young. This does happen sometimes - but thankfully rarely - and it is most likely she was born with some genetic weakness - a weak heart maybe. This kind of thing can also come from bad breeding (pet shop hamsters have very uncertain breeding). But is a lottery as well. Even pure bred hamsters from breeders, with a pedigree, can have one born with a weakness. The hardest thing is the cage being there empty. I always find it helps to cover it up with a blanket until you feel ready to empty it out, clean it and put it away. It can make the grief much harder with the cage sitting there. You may feel it is too soon to think about getting another one and it wouldn't replace Nibs - but I have found it actually really helps to get another one. In fact I started keeping two so if one died we still had one that needed caring for and it wasn't quite such a sudden change of lifestyle. A new hamster will be a different personality - they are all different. It helps to get one a different colour maybe, and sometimes even a different species - so it doesn't remind you too much. Sorry I just reread - you said a huge gap where the cage sat so you've probably already removed it. Maybe rearrange things a bit in the room for now so the gap isn't there looking at you. I haven often set up a cage in a different room after one has died when we get another one - so the habits are slightly different and less of a painful reminder.