(2/24/19-10/9/20)
Poe was a beautiful fancy bear hamster with an even more beautiful personality. He is one of the only pets I’ve ever had that never ever bit me. If he wanted some love, he would put his paws on the glass and stare at me until I picked him up or gave him some treats. If I held him to my face, he would occasionally lick my nose. He was simply the sweetest and gentlest creature I’ve ever met.
When I got him, he was very shy and scared of everything. I couldn’t even touch him without seeing him flinch. He hid in the corner of his cage until I went away, at which point he would come out and look for food. He was a chubby little fella, but not unhealthy. He loved to run on his wheel and go on adventures outside of his cage. Once, he climbed on top of his water bottle, standing on his tippy-paws to push the lid off his cage. Then he made his way out, jumped off the cage and landed on the floor, where he ran around like a madman until I saw him and put him back. Just a little while after getting him, he decided to trust me. I could pick him up, rub him, and give him wellness checks. Sometime last year I invested my birthday money in getting him a 40 gallon tank; a big upgrade from what he had. I was a little worried that he would have everything he wanted and stop asking for my attention, but that’s not what happened. He kept coming to the glass, almost every day. He got special treats on holidays, lots of love every day, and special treatment before I went on trips. He comforted me when Peter died. He is the one who introduced me to who is now my boyfriend; Poe posed with me in some photos for my church, which Drummer Boi saw.
Poe was totally healthy just a few days ago, so it was heartbreaking when I found him. I hadn’t seen him the day before, but figured our sleep schedules were to blame. So I looked under his chew-log to check on him. He wasn’t moving. I was terrified that he had gone into hibernation, because I had recently turned the temperature down a few degrees upstairs. But then I saw that he wasn’t breathing at all. I petted him and he didn’t budge or wake up. I immediately started crying and called my best friend, Peep. I wanted to call Drummer Boi, but he was at a sleepover with his friends and I didn’t want to ruin his night. I was heartbroken, but Peep helped calm me down. I cried all the tears I had in me, choking on air and barely able to breathe. It was horrible. I felt like a chunk of my heart was being ripped out.
I started painting Poe’s casket last night, leaving him in his favorite spot (his food “collection”) in his cage. I buried him today. I feel like crap and I didn’t sleep well, but I’m happy that he’s in a better place.
Ave atque vale, my friend. You were the gentlest creature I’ve ever laid eyes on. Your soul was the color of sunflowers in early morning mist. Hail and farewell, Poe. I love you.
♡, Shortie
I have a system when I am going to bed; brush my teeth, wash my face, etc. When I’m done in the bathroom, I have to walk through the animal room to get to my bedroom. So I tell them all goodnight as I pass. I say, “Goodnight Dave, Elroy, Squeaker, Poe, Bump, Sunny, Mango, Pogo, Adam, Eve, Rosemary, Cora, and Steve (wherever you are).” Then I come into my room and say goodnight to my cats. I always do it in that order. I guess the names have become habit, because I almost said goodnight to Poe while staring at his empty cage. It hurt. A lot.
Drummer boi recently asked me what my favorite memory of Poe was. So I thought I’d share it here.
A little while after I’d gotten Poe, I switched from the mini yogies to the regular sized ones. He had taken them hesitantly, but willingly. When I switched over, he took it into his paws and I turned around to put the bag away. When I looked back at him again, the yogie was gone. I looked around but didn’t see it. Then I noticed that his cheek looked really, really puffy. I had just had a hamster (Peter) die from tumors. I got really panicked. Then I noticed that his cheek wasn’t just puffy, but also orange. Yep. He had shoved the entire treat into his cheek pouch. I was freaking out, because I thought it was stuck. But he was just going on about his business with a giant orange thing stuck in his face. (Btw, this was when he was pretty young. The treat was about the size of his whole face at the time. It was so cute.) ♡