Until We Meet Again, Timmy....

It's 10 days before Christmas and it's very sad at our house.  My little hamster brother Timmy crossed the Rainbow Bridge Monday morning.  Mom thinks he had a stroke.  It all happened very fast, which is a blessing in many ways, but it's left a big hole in our hearts.

Timmy's mom was rescued after being dumped at a flea market with a bunch of other hamsters.  Three days later, she gave birth to Timmy and a litter of his brothers and sisters.  Not long after she weaned her babies, she crossed the Rainbow Bridge herself.

Timmy started his life in a loving foster home and came to live with us not long after Lucky passed away.  He was such a funny little boy!  He loved to dig in his litterbin and was fastitious about using it.  Mom made him a great hamster playground filled with all the toys she couldn't fit into his cage.  This is a picture of him in his Circus Tent - it was his favourite.  He would circle inside of it and rub his scent all over the inside, and it would slide across the floor as he did so - silly hamster!

Sometimes he would come visit us downstairs and roll around in his ball.  He never really got the hang of grooming my fur through the air vents like Boo and Lucky did, but he sure did like to park next to me and give me a good long sniff.  Sometimes we played together in the Stupid Blankets.

This was Timmy on his first birthday about 6 weeks ago.  Mom made him a little banana cake with raisins which he loved.  He got some nut sticks for a present and loved to nibble on them.  Mom says the saddest thing is the fact that he won't be here at Christmas to open his presents - Mom bought some great stuff for his playground and she cries at the thought of him never being able to use them.  His stocking full of nuts sits under the tree, his name in gold glitter on the front - he'll never get to empty it and stuff his cheeks with walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts.  He never even had a Christmas with us....

Mom and Dad say having hamsters is getting harder and harder - they don't live very long.  We have said goodbye to three hamsters in just under 15 months and it really breaks Mom's heart to lose them.  Mom called Timmy her little bear and it's during the evenings like now that she misses him most - his digging in the litterbin, his ball rolling along the floor and into the walls and furniture and the sound of the bells ringing when he knocks them around his cage late at night.  Mom and Dad would be able to hear it all the way from upstairs and it would make them giggle in the dark.  But not anymore....

So little Timmy, please remember how much we love you.  Your sweet little spirit will live forever in our hearts and you will never be forgotten.  Say hi to Lucky and Boo up there at the Bridge - they will take care of you and you will have lots of fun with them.  Mom sends a truck-load of smooches and a heart full of love.

Until we meet again....

Fluffy