Hammy



Hammy, but not Hammy

 This is not Hammy.  I mean, his name is Hammy - but this isn't Hammy.   Even Hammy wasn't really Hammy - he was Hammy the Second.

Hammy the Second passed away Sunday night, peacefully falling to sleep and staying there.  Hammy was only with us for about a year and a half - about average for a dwarf hamster, based on minimal research, but he was a part of our family and we will miss him.  In recent months he had visibly slowed and never crawled up the vertical tube to his observation deck.

C's first question when we told him was if Hammy was in heaven.  Our answer was that he had a giant wheel that he could run and run and run on and never get tired.  C also pledged to think of Hammy every time he looked out the window.  Forever is a long time - but I know he made through dinner.  I am amazed at our son's capacity and instinct to care for a pet enough to be concerned with a hamster getting to meet Jesus. 

Hammy the First wasn't here very long - not even two months -  but his stay here fairly paralleled a pretty significant two months in our family: June -August 2010 (D-day through birthday).  There were many middle-of-the-nights that I would wait out the 15 minutes between tests watching him scurry about his cage or pack his cheeks with 27 sunflower seeds.

The cage will remain in place - cleaned & prepped for the next tenant.  A next tenant with probably a 50-50 shot at being named Hammy - but he won't be Hammy either.