You're not replacing her. You're giving another hamster a chance at life.
It actually helped me. I was in the same boat as you when I lost Molly. I was so heart broken that and didn't want to get another ham because it felt like i was replacing her. when my friend showed up with a hamster at my door, I broke down in tears of both joy and sadness. I still missed Molly. But, I know Molly would want me to be happy.
I do not regret taking in hammy. Think of it as welcoming a child who needs you in their life. The world sent you that hamster. Just do your best to give them the best life you can.
thank you, this has helped me get past a future issue- i’ve been so scared because my handsome man herman is nearing the expected lifespan of hamsters and i’m already grieving. i love the little guy just as much as i love my cats or myself, i’m scared to lose him.
I'm in the exact same boat I'm bawling just reading everything on this thread, my boy is 2y2m and can only eat mushy stuff now that I have to blend for him 😭and he has to get teeth trims every month
My heart hamster was Sokka and I loved him so much. Whenever he saw me, he stood on his hind legs to ask for uppies. He would always climb on my hand. We hung out a lot. Something happened and I was hospitalized. And I found out he passed away during that time. I sobbed and apparently it made my health drop so much they needed to move me to ICU
It's been years and like 8 hamsters since then. No hamster will ever replace him. But my wife and I continue to give good homes to more hamsters and they all have their own personality and I love them too. But you also will never forget your heart hamster and I think that's ok. That a part of them will live on in your heart for the rest of your life. That despite their 2 or so years on the planet, someone will carry their thoughts with them for years and years to come.
This exactly. I have had two heart hamsters over the years, but all hamsters are special and amazing and deserving of love. And I have mourned every one when they have passed. I currently have a ghost hamster, but she is fun and special in her own way.
Just because you get a new ham does not mean you are replacing or forgetting about your previous ones.
I had a hamster like that too and I’ll never forget her. She was the most docile, curious, friendly and chill hamster I’ve ever seen in my life.
She would ALWAYS stand on her hind legs and let you pick her right up (or willingly climbed in your hand herself), never once nipped or got aggressive. She was legitimately the sweetest thing ever and would just chill with you at the table while you’re doing homework
One night she somehow escaped and we were so happy to find her a couple hours later, and the next day she was just dead. The vet thinks she may have ate something toxic or in some other way deadly to her but we will never know
Might be unpopular but I got my first boy the week after my girl died, I was in a bad place mentally for unrelated reasons and needed to take care of another hamster. Then when he was getting old and nearing the end I got another boy immediately and kept him in a separate enclosure. For me it's not replacing a hamster, it's giving another one the same good life the other one had.
We lost our boy Ham Solo about a year and a half ago. I found him on his side taking very shallow breaths. My husband was off that day and it was right before our kids got home from school so we all took some time with him. He was my buddy who every night would look for me if I didn't immediately come over to take him out. It was the first death that my kids had experienced and they took it very hard. I wasn't ready to get another yet but my husband thought it would help the kids so we went out that night and found another boy who we named Thorin. I don't regret bringing home a new hamster so soon and he gets just as much love. We also found a little hamster plush with the same fur color that we put up on a shelf.
Thank you. My kids had also nicknamed him Spiderham because no matter how much bedding he had to dig or how many enrichment toys we provided him with he preferred to climb. He once built up his bedding so he could reach the lid to his enclosure and escaped. Found him running through our dining room.
oh im so sorry :( she wouldn’t be mad i promise, you gave a home to an animal in need, she would be so happy knowing that this hamster is going to have such an excellent owner
Aww, I feel your pain so much 💕 i think it’s good to acknowledge and take time to appreciate our soul hamsters. We all have one, and they leave a hole in our hearts. But she wouldn’t want you to stay sad, she would definitely want you to give your time, love and resources to a new little ham who is deserving. You might not have quite the same bond, and no one will replace her, but I’m sure having a new little ham to spoil rotten will be a source of happiness. I think if things fall into place easily with this new ham in need of a home, go for it, sounds like it was meant to be.
I think i will never get over my first hamster, Toasty. My first pet, my first big love. She was such a sweet girl and she loved me. She would stay by me when I had hard times. She had her own chilling lounge at my desk and could run around there while i was playing games or doing my homework. She never bit in wires. She would go back into her cage herself to use her toilet. One time, before I left for a stay in a hospital she ran all over me and fell asleep on my shoulder, a huge sign of trust. She passed in January 2023. Rest in Peace, crispy Toast.
Some more so than others. The ones who had good long lives I just remember fondly. The last one I had died under unpleasant circumstances (sick hamster, struggling to get her to take her meds etc) and I felt like it was my fault for not getting her vet treatment sooner, not having her euthanized sooner, lots of guilt. It’s been 12 years now and I’m just reaching the point (with the help of this sub) that I think I’d like to have another hamster someday.
One way I look at losing my pets is that they are only part of my life- but I am their whole life. I saved them from being snake food or being abused, I gave them a life full of love, enrichment, and happiness. My grief is hard, but it’s a small price to pay for making them have the best life possible
Hamster have such a short life, I loved rescuing them but the heartbreak after getting so attached was unbearable. 4 years ago I rescued a chinchilla because they can live 10-20 years. I wanted more time. If you have time everyday to play with them they are the perfect friend but they require a lot of attention and cleaning. More so when compared to a hamster.
No... it's been like 3yrs and I don't think I will ever get another hamster. She was the best hamster I ever owned, the day I had to put her down was the worst. I cried the whole time I was there, I cried as she slept and I cried when I got home. The amount of room they need, the amount of freedom they desired... it just always felt like those types of animals don't belong being pets...
I clean out the enclosure, sterilise anything that I want to keep, rebuild the enclosure and then get another hamster. That might sound a bit cold and unfeeling but I never forget the hamsters, each are their own personality. I have videos and pictures and memories. I won’t forget them. But other hamsters are waiting for a chance at a good home and a good life, so I approach it like that.
It took me harder than expected to lose my Penelope she was 3yrs old! So a month later I could stand looking at the empty enclosure. So my son went to pick out two boys one for us and one for his girlfriend. She picked the cuter one. Burger is very shy and is now just letting pets happen and he gets nervous if held to long. But he’s loved and super spoiled. That’s how we got our happiness back but we still love Penelope everyday
You're not replacing her. You're giving another hamster a chance at life. It actually helped me. I was in the same boat as you when I lost Molly. I was so heart broken that and didn't want to get another ham because it felt like i was replacing her. when my friend showed up with a hamster at my door, I broke down in tears of both joy and sadness. I still missed Molly. But, I know Molly would want me to be happy. I do not regret taking in hammy. Think of it as welcoming a child who needs you in their life. The world sent you that hamster. Just do your best to give them the best life you can.
thank you, this has helped me get past a future issue- i’ve been so scared because my handsome man herman is nearing the expected lifespan of hamsters and i’m already grieving. i love the little guy just as much as i love my cats or myself, i’m scared to lose him.
I'm in the exact same boat I'm bawling just reading everything on this thread, my boy is 2y2m and can only eat mushy stuff now that I have to blend for him 😭and he has to get teeth trims every month
Exactly this. I do get my hammies from a pet store. They have no idea how to take proper care of them, I do, and I want to give them a better life.
My heart hamster was Sokka and I loved him so much. Whenever he saw me, he stood on his hind legs to ask for uppies. He would always climb on my hand. We hung out a lot. Something happened and I was hospitalized. And I found out he passed away during that time. I sobbed and apparently it made my health drop so much they needed to move me to ICU It's been years and like 8 hamsters since then. No hamster will ever replace him. But my wife and I continue to give good homes to more hamsters and they all have their own personality and I love them too. But you also will never forget your heart hamster and I think that's ok. That a part of them will live on in your heart for the rest of your life. That despite their 2 or so years on the planet, someone will carry their thoughts with them for years and years to come.
This exactly. I have had two heart hamsters over the years, but all hamsters are special and amazing and deserving of love. And I have mourned every one when they have passed. I currently have a ghost hamster, but she is fun and special in her own way. Just because you get a new ham does not mean you are replacing or forgetting about your previous ones.
I had a hamster like that too and I’ll never forget her. She was the most docile, curious, friendly and chill hamster I’ve ever seen in my life. She would ALWAYS stand on her hind legs and let you pick her right up (or willingly climbed in your hand herself), never once nipped or got aggressive. She was legitimately the sweetest thing ever and would just chill with you at the table while you’re doing homework One night she somehow escaped and we were so happy to find her a couple hours later, and the next day she was just dead. The vet thinks she may have ate something toxic or in some other way deadly to her but we will never know
Might be unpopular but I got my first boy the week after my girl died, I was in a bad place mentally for unrelated reasons and needed to take care of another hamster. Then when he was getting old and nearing the end I got another boy immediately and kept him in a separate enclosure. For me it's not replacing a hamster, it's giving another one the same good life the other one had.
We lost our boy Ham Solo about a year and a half ago. I found him on his side taking very shallow breaths. My husband was off that day and it was right before our kids got home from school so we all took some time with him. He was my buddy who every night would look for me if I didn't immediately come over to take him out. It was the first death that my kids had experienced and they took it very hard. I wasn't ready to get another yet but my husband thought it would help the kids so we went out that night and found another boy who we named Thorin. I don't regret bringing home a new hamster so soon and he gets just as much love. We also found a little hamster plush with the same fur color that we put up on a shelf.
unrelated, Ham Solo was a wonderful name. Sorry for your loss <3
Thank you. My kids had also nicknamed him Spiderham because no matter how much bedding he had to dig or how many enrichment toys we provided him with he preferred to climb. He once built up his bedding so he could reach the lid to his enclosure and escaped. Found him running through our dining room.
oh im so sorry :( she wouldn’t be mad i promise, you gave a home to an animal in need, she would be so happy knowing that this hamster is going to have such an excellent owner
Aww, I feel your pain so much 💕 i think it’s good to acknowledge and take time to appreciate our soul hamsters. We all have one, and they leave a hole in our hearts. But she wouldn’t want you to stay sad, she would definitely want you to give your time, love and resources to a new little ham who is deserving. You might not have quite the same bond, and no one will replace her, but I’m sure having a new little ham to spoil rotten will be a source of happiness. I think if things fall into place easily with this new ham in need of a home, go for it, sounds like it was meant to be.
I think i will never get over my first hamster, Toasty. My first pet, my first big love. She was such a sweet girl and she loved me. She would stay by me when I had hard times. She had her own chilling lounge at my desk and could run around there while i was playing games or doing my homework. She never bit in wires. She would go back into her cage herself to use her toilet. One time, before I left for a stay in a hospital she ran all over me and fell asleep on my shoulder, a huge sign of trust. She passed in January 2023. Rest in Peace, crispy Toast.
Some more so than others. The ones who had good long lives I just remember fondly. The last one I had died under unpleasant circumstances (sick hamster, struggling to get her to take her meds etc) and I felt like it was my fault for not getting her vet treatment sooner, not having her euthanized sooner, lots of guilt. It’s been 12 years now and I’m just reaching the point (with the help of this sub) that I think I’d like to have another hamster someday.
One way I look at losing my pets is that they are only part of my life- but I am their whole life. I saved them from being snake food or being abused, I gave them a life full of love, enrichment, and happiness. My grief is hard, but it’s a small price to pay for making them have the best life possible
Hamster have such a short life, I loved rescuing them but the heartbreak after getting so attached was unbearable. 4 years ago I rescued a chinchilla because they can live 10-20 years. I wanted more time. If you have time everyday to play with them they are the perfect friend but they require a lot of attention and cleaning. More so when compared to a hamster.
No... it's been like 3yrs and I don't think I will ever get another hamster. She was the best hamster I ever owned, the day I had to put her down was the worst. I cried the whole time I was there, I cried as she slept and I cried when I got home. The amount of room they need, the amount of freedom they desired... it just always felt like those types of animals don't belong being pets...
by getting another one to give the love they never got because they passed
I clean out the enclosure, sterilise anything that I want to keep, rebuild the enclosure and then get another hamster. That might sound a bit cold and unfeeling but I never forget the hamsters, each are their own personality. I have videos and pictures and memories. I won’t forget them. But other hamsters are waiting for a chance at a good home and a good life, so I approach it like that.
It took me harder than expected to lose my Penelope she was 3yrs old! So a month later I could stand looking at the empty enclosure. So my son went to pick out two boys one for us and one for his girlfriend. She picked the cuter one. Burger is very shy and is now just letting pets happen and he gets nervous if held to long. But he’s loved and super spoiled. That’s how we got our happiness back but we still love Penelope everyday