Light and Transient
A small part of me died today.
I was going to make a pizza for dinner, and walking to the pizza oven, I checked in on the hamsters, since they're only a couple feet away.
Something seemed odd ...
Looking closer, neither of them were moving. Hamstaus (the black and white panda hamster) was in the "petting zone" at the top of the cage, sleeping like he usually does. Ninja Steve (the brown one that I've had since 2003 or so) was laying under the water bottle, in his usual sleeping spot. Only ... not quite.
I tapped on the plastic above Hamstaus, he woke up. I tapped on the cage near Ninja Steve, he didn't. I reached in a poked him, knowing he was dead.
He wasn't quite cold to the touch, maybe just a little chilled. Still soft and furry and squishy as always ... It looked like part of his face had been chewed off. I remember feeding them not that long ago, and he looked more "wounded" than "eaten" ...
Small maggots were already wriggling in the exposed flesh. (Lovely image, that. You're welcome.)
I gave the cage a quick cleaning by swapping the Petting Zone and base from the unused (broken) cage and putting in fresh litter and food.
The cleanup was mechanical, dispassionate. I kept thinking how short life is sometimes, and how much we take for granted. The phrase "light and transient" leaped to mind, and brought with it the "argument" about whether or not I misused a quote from the Declaration of Independence in another post.
Those of you with loved ones, be they human or animal, give them a hug and let them know you care.
I was going to make a pizza for dinner, and walking to the pizza oven, I checked in on the hamsters, since they're only a couple feet away.
Something seemed odd ...
Looking closer, neither of them were moving. Hamstaus (the black and white panda hamster) was in the "petting zone" at the top of the cage, sleeping like he usually does. Ninja Steve (the brown one that I've had since 2003 or so) was laying under the water bottle, in his usual sleeping spot. Only ... not quite.
I tapped on the plastic above Hamstaus, he woke up. I tapped on the cage near Ninja Steve, he didn't. I reached in a poked him, knowing he was dead.
He wasn't quite cold to the touch, maybe just a little chilled. Still soft and furry and squishy as always ... It looked like part of his face had been chewed off. I remember feeding them not that long ago, and he looked more "wounded" than "eaten" ...
Small maggots were already wriggling in the exposed flesh. (Lovely image, that. You're welcome.)
I gave the cage a quick cleaning by swapping the Petting Zone and base from the unused (broken) cage and putting in fresh litter and food.
The cleanup was mechanical, dispassionate. I kept thinking how short life is sometimes, and how much we take for granted. The phrase "light and transient" leaped to mind, and brought with it the "argument" about whether or not I misused a quote from the Declaration of Independence in another post.
Those of you with loved ones, be they human or animal, give them a hug and let them know you care.