My grandson was seven in October, 2007, when he decided that he really needed a hamster to make his life complete. His mom eventually gave in, as most moms do, and made a deal with him. After some pleading on his part and hesitancy on hers -- there were some tears and sighs during the negotiations -- he agreed to purge his room of all the toys and clothes he no longer used so that he could sell them at a garage sale and earn money to pay for a hamster and all the equipment it would need. Of course, Mom loaned him the money. How quickly he has learned economic basics; buy now, pay later.
He chose two dwarf hamsters and a two-story cage with an exercise wheel, a maze of tubes for his cuddly new friends to crawl through, lots of food, a water bottle, and cedar chips to make the floor soft and hide the poop. He named the hamsters Margaret and Margaret. (Mommy tried for middle names or numbers. She was met with blank stares.)
He chose two dwarf hamsters and a two-story cage with an exercise wheel, a maze of tubes for his cuddly new friends to crawl through, lots of food, a water bottle, and cedar chips to make the floor soft and hide the poop. He named the hamsters Margaret and Margaret. (Mommy tried for middle names or numbers. She was met with blank stares.)
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| Margaret |
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| Margaret |
He and his mom went to the pet store and bought two more dwarf hamsters so Margaret wouldn't have to be alone in the cage. He named them Margaret and Margaret. Mom had long ago become accustomed to the confusion. There are definite advantages. One never gets the name wrong. Margaret, Margaret, and Margaret seemed to be happy, running on the wheel and through the tubes, eating and drinking and pooping on the chips. They slept huddled together in one corner of the cage and Margaret only bit my grandson once.
One day the door of the cage was left unlatched, and Margaret and Margaret escaped. They left Margaret huddled in a corner, waiting all alone and probably still grieving for Margaret, if she was the Margaret who was there when Margaret died. My grandson and his mom looked all over for Margaret and Margaret but they were not to be found. Addy and Monica, the two cats in the house, looked at them innocently as they searched. No luck, no hamster to be found, not Margaret and not Margaret. Margaret was in the cage alone again.
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| Margaret |
Later that evening as Mom was sitting on the patio, she looked in through the glass door and saw Margaret scoot across the floor. She also saw Addy's and Monica's surprised looks as they watched Margaret scamper into a corner. Mom went in and rescued Margaret before the cats could even blink. My grandson was very happy to have Margaret back, but he was still mourning Margaret and sad about Margaret because she was still lost, so he said prayers for them again. If Margaret died, she would be sure to go to heaven to be with Margaret.
Margarets are still buried next to the Easter house and haven't been exhumed recently, but my grandson never found Margaret. Maybe Addy or Monica found her and put her outside. Monica had the best chance of finding her, since Addy was apt to spend her time sitting on the stove getting her tail singed in the pilot light. Margaret doesn't seems to be grieving any more, and she and Margaret are happy in the cage together, running on the exercise wheel and through the maze of tubes, sleeping, eating, drinking, pooping in the chips and waiting for their next adventure.
Mom is looking for a different pet store, just in case.
eMail dated June 4, 2008
Dear Grandma,
Margaret disappeared yesterday and we can't find her. Margaret is very lonely.
Love,
Amy
eMail dated July 25, 2008 |
| Margaret |
Later that evening as Mom was sitting on the patio, she looked in through the glass door and saw Margaret scoot across the floor. She also saw Addy's and Monica's surprised looks as they watched Margaret scamper into a corner. Mom went in and rescued Margaret before the cats could even blink. My grandson was very happy to have Margaret back, but he was still mourning Margaret and sad about Margaret because she was still lost, so he said prayers for them again. If Margaret died, she would be sure to go to heaven to be with Margaret.
Margarets are still buried next to the Easter house and haven't been exhumed recently, but my grandson never found Margaret. Maybe Addy or Monica found her and put her outside. Monica had the best chance of finding her, since Addy was apt to spend her time sitting on the stove getting her tail singed in the pilot light. Margaret doesn't seems to be grieving any more, and she and Margaret are happy in the cage together, running on the exercise wheel and through the maze of tubes, sleeping, eating, drinking, pooping in the chips and waiting for their next adventure.
Mom is looking for a different pet store, just in case.
Dear Grandma,
Margaret disappeared yesterday and we can't find her. Margaret is very lonely.
Love,
Amy
Dear Grandma,
Margaret had to be carried from her cage. She went to join the other Margarets in the special place beside the Easter house where hamsters go when they die.
Love,
Amy
eMail dated July 26, 2008
Your grandson wants a snake.
Love,
Amy
Margaret?
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| Dreamstime Photo |
February, 2009
Read the February Journal yet?
USE COMMENTS TO TELL YOUR PET STORIES
Margaret, Margaret, and....... what was the other one called......oh, yea, Margaret.....thank you for the smile!!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. It makes things easy if you can keep a straight face when you talk to him.
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