Unfiltered Story #18584

(I’m a guy not overly prone to crying. When our friends took in an emergency rescue hamster my husband and I fell in love with him and were overjoyed when they didn’t have time for him and let us take him in. He was far friendlier and happier to see us than I imagined hamsters to be and he was very much part of the family. Even as he grew old and infirm, becoming first deaf and then starting to go blind, he was still eager to see us and would wake us up if he missed us. When he passed peacefully it was obviously very sad, but hardly a shock. I make arrangements with a pet crematorium- they’re gentle and nice, but then this exchange occurs while the staff member is taking his information.)

Staff: “Okay, and how old is [Hamster]?”

Me: “We’re not sure. At least three years.”

Staff: (clearly surprised) “Oh my god!”

Me: (starting to both laugh and cry) “Yeah, he was a proper doddering old boy by the end. ”

Staff: (a little sadly) “I had a girl hamster- she was only a year and a half when she went. I think people underestimate how important the small animals are.”

Me: “They absolutely are.”

Staff: “Was he the first animal you and your husband had together?”

Me: “Oh- no, my husband sort of inherited-” (I laugh, remembering another late pet) “When we got together he had to share me with a rabbit, who was very jealous! And we’ve got two rescue rabbits we adopted together. And of course, in there, [Hamster] came along.”

Staff: “And he was such a character, I’m sure.”

Me: “Oh yeah, absolutely. We were spoiled with our first hamster. He couldn’t be sweeter or friendlier. We were lucky to have him.”

(I know it doesn’t sound like much. But it was such a moment of warmth that allowed me to open up and have a proper, healing cry. In that painful moment it made such a very real difference to me and made me feel so much better about what I was arranging. I wish I could convey how much it meant to me.)