This morning as I was about to hop in the shower Alyssa came to my room and called out to me, “Dad it’s Mitzi, she’s slow and not very responsive this morning.”
I went downstairs and Alyssa was holding Mitzi who we walking slowly and wobbly and keeping her eyes closed. It was clear that she was not long for this world. While she has been active even just in the last few days, it has seemed to me that she was acting as if she was getting senile and fragile over the last few weeks but this morning was drastically different. I confined to Alyssa that Mitzi would likely die today. Everyone who was up to time to bid their farewells and Alyssa made her as comfortable in a neat in her cage as possible.
Alyssa has been asking for weeks to get a new pet before Mitzi died so that she would have a source of comfort. In fact, last night we basically settled on getting treats for her next pet but Mitzi apparently want waiting for that resolution.
I texted Laura to let her know so she gave me updates a couple of times during the day. Mitzi was even being somewhat responsive to Laura and Laura forgave the biting that Mitzi has been doing in her dotage. Early in the afternoon Laura called to tell me that in checking on Mitzi again she had passed away.
It was sweet that everyone got to say goodbye. Mitzi is the first pet we have had who died of nothing but old age. She’s been with us for nearly two years and provided endless love and entertainment throughout her life.
When I got home from work the kids had found a box to bury her in and Ezra had made a headstone for her grave which labeled her “TBH” meaning “the best hamster.” We laid her to rest in the back yard and while we mourn the loss of our pint-sized friend we know she isn’t suffering now and that she lived life to it’s fullest for a dwarf hamster. We look forward to seeing her again in heaven where we will still love her.
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