Shari.com: Bonnet

Gentle Bon-Bon left tonight after a short illness. He was at least 18 months old.

We think perhaps he had a little stroke the other week, which is not uncommon for hamsters, and often they return to good lives. Snout lived almost three months after his stroke - and his happened just before his second birthday, so he was not a young fellow - and he was his old self after a few days, save the betrayal of his back legs.

Bonnet seemed a little palsied for about a week, but then he wound down very quickly this past week. But even after, he was running a little, and until the end he was still getting around. I trimmed his toenails a few days ago, and we both gave him special "hand time" with tofu this week, which was his favourite.

Then this afternoon I came home, saw him in his bed (with Comet hovering protectively near), and it seemed obvious. A day, maybe two. Surely no more. I brought him the water bottle and he had a few sips, but mostly he just seemed worn out. He was always a gentle, retiring hammie, but this was different. His luggage was tagged.

Mike had a nap before we went out to see Spamalot (details later), and before I came to wake him up, I checked on Bonnet. He was sound asleep in his bed. "Shhhh," I told Mike, as I got him up. "Don't talk - Bonnet's asleep. He's getting some good rest."

Then we came home tonight and I said, "I'll check him - you stay here." Mike has been the one to discover all of the "gone" hammies since he came to the States. I thought I could use superstition to buy us a little more time with our "buttery" darling. (Buttery in colour and sometimes in smell.)

But no. He'd moved to the extra-fluffy nest we'd made him last week, so he'd be sure to stay warm, with toilet paper roll tunneling and fortifications, and five inches of stuffins and just as much fluffins. (Some day I'll explain stuffins and fluffins.) He looked happy. I think that's because he is.

(right after adoption)

(exploring with Comet, left)

(his dear self)

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