I cried buckets

Wenwen...sleeping forever...

I checked on Wenwen when I came home yesterday and confirmed that she was sleeping and resting. She wasn't well for the past few days and I noticed that she had a bloated belly and she did not want to drink water even when I put the snout of the water bottle at her mouth. Knowing her temper, I did not try to carry her or disturb her because she does not quite like to be touched. So I left her to sleep.

When I came home at about 10:30pm - 11pm last night after supper with him, I checked on her again and I thought it was wierd that she had not changed her sleeping position at all. (Hamsters move A LOT in their sleep and they shift positions a lot too) I took a closer look at her and realised that she did not seem to be breathing. Usually you just have to look at their bodies for awhile and you would see them heave up and down as they breathe.

She was not moving.

At all.

I panicked and started calling her. Immediately and gently, I took out the ladder in the cage so I could have more space to stick my hand in. I approached her very slowly and cautiously, in case I gave her a shock. I kept calling her and I stroked her back with my fingers. She did not respond. She looked as if she was in deep slumber.

I removed the cage cover quickly so I could have a closer look to confirm my worst fears. I peerd closely at her and realised that I was right. She was gone. I started to cry. I called him to tell him that she was gone. After I hung up, I just sat there, not knowing what to do. I looked at her tiny little body and I felt so sorry. I wasn't there when she died. She probably died in her sleep and I hope she had not suffered pain at all. I decided to take one last picture of her as a memory, before I started to clean her up.

I slowly moved the wood shavings next to her away. I lifted her as gently as I could from the bed of wood shavings and I slowly began sweeping off the wood shavings on her body. She was almost stiff and felt chilly to touch. When I turned her over to her side to sweep off the shavings on her underside, I noticed that her belly was all blackish. I think she must have had some kind of cancerous tumour. I felt so sorry. My brother was next to me and he was very kind and understanding to not say anything at all. He just sat next to me and watched as I swept all the wood shavings off her body. I was trying so hard not to cry but tears just kept rolling down my cheeks. Mum gave me a small yellow towel to wrap Wenwen in. After I cleaned the shavings away, I held her in my hands and stroked her back gently for awhile. I told her that I was sorry I wasn't there when she was leaving. She was a wonderful pet and I love her very much. I told her that she must make her way to the rainbow bridge now to join Mimi and Chips and that there was plenty of food and friends there. She would always be happy and comfortable at the rainbow bridge.

I said goodbye quietly.

I wrapped her in the yellow towel and placed her in a ziploc bag. He will take me to the nature park tonight and we will bury her together with Mimi and Chips. I placed her into another 2 ziploc bags just to make sure things were air-tight and then I placed her on one of the shelves in the freezer.

We'll bury her tonight.

Bye bye...Wenwen girl....