Elfie's Sudden Death

My beloved hamster Elfie passed away yesterday. I do not know how it feels like to gasp for its last few breaths before its heart stops beating. But it must have been a scary thing, considering that we only die once in our life. And more so, since Elfie was all alone by itself, while my whole family was out at work.

The night before, I came home astonished to see Elfie lying limply on its side, with absolutely no strength to move at all. After spending about half an hour, it would occasionally twitch its nose, despite its motionless body and slow breathing, as could be seen from the rising of its tiny rib cage. I was so afraid that it would die…

After dinner, I spent almost 45 minutes trying to revive him and even said a short prayer for it. Elfie didn’t even respond when I put him into a very shallow amount of water, in case he was feeling the effects of the excruciating heat from the hot weather during the day. I dried him, as I usually did, with 3 pieces thick of tissue paper and placed him back into his usual cage.

For the next few hours, Elfie still laid very still. After some time, to my great joy and delight, he slowly began to move slowly around his cage! I was thankful, as he began to crawl on my hand, as usual, when I picked him up to ‘sayang’ him. I thought he was recovering and I thanked God for it. Rebecca was relieved too.

The next morning, I popped my head into the balcony to check on him, before I left for work and Elfie still responded to my voice. I felt assured that he would be okay; especially since I had made an agreement with my Dad that his cage would be brought into the hall during the day, so as to avoid the heat of the day.

21st July, Friday. I returned home at night (after meeting Rebecca for dinner) to find Elfie lying as still as before, but this time dead, with its eyes still open. I peered and clapped to see if there is any life left in him, but there was none. His rib cage had stopped moving too. According to my Mum, she came home to find Elfie dead already, so I figured that it must have happened during the day, when nobody in the family was around.

I felt a stronger sense of emptiness that I felt the night before, seeing Elfie lying so still and weak. Up till now, I still have no idea why this happened. Was it really the heat? It couldn’t be the food coz I have always been feeding it with the normal hamster food, with occasional treats. Thinking about it last night, I guessed that it must have been the heat.

It drove home the point that hamsters do not like the sun, especially when it is shining directly on it. Furthermore, it is not advisable to place the hamster into a plastic or glass container because the lack of cage grills causes heat to be trapped and retained in the container, which would affect the hamster. Underlying this, hamsters are nocturnal creatures… so obviously it doesn’t like the sun!

It has been a sad time for me and Rebecca… but more sad for me, coz I have been taking care of Elfie for 8 months now. Furthermore, Elfie was Rebecca’s Christmas gift to me last year.

Both of us decided to buy another hamster to take care, for it is indeed a joy to take care of a pet at home. This idea of having a ‘Fantastic Four’ at my home came into my mind this evening; of which comprising of the husband (me), wife (Rebecca), children and pet. I think this would make a great combination for a warm, cozy and relaxing home together. Definitely something that both of us are looking towards. May God bless us, as we move into this phase together. Amen.