Goodbye Lottie

Well, I am sad to report that our little Lottie Lou is no longer with us.  We had her for almost a year which is much better than we did with Herbie. 

Lottie was mischievous and fun, and REALLY good at playing hide-and-seek, with the aid of her main accomplice, Peanut.

One day I noticed that her stomach was looking kind of distended, and that night after the girls went to bed, T and I checked on her.  She was breathing very sporadically and not responsive.  We probably should have put her out of her misery but neither of us had the heart.  By the time we woke up the next morning she was gone.  She either ate something on one of her weekly field trips or (according to one of my friends who raises bunnies, guinea pigs, etc.) she had a blocked bowel from a hairball. 

The girls were not nearly as traumatized…maybe they are getting used to the circle of life after Herbie and Izzy?  Or perhaps it was because T had Lottie boxed up and told them the news, rather than them finding her as they did with Herbie.  I still remember that awful feeling of reaching into my hamster’s cage and touching a rock hard body…I was probably 10.  *Shudder*

Either way I’m glad it wasn’t as hard for them this time.

We took her out to Noni and Papa’s and gave her a proper burial.  The girls wrote on her box before the “funeral”.

Then Noni drove them out to the pet cemetery.

Peanut wasn’t too shook up about it and was making us laugh.

Cocoa was probably terrified to realize that this is the track record her family has with pets!

Most of the sheep ignored us after realizing we didn’t have any treats.

Except for one brave girl who came right up to be petted.

Daddy dug the hole and put the box in with a final farewell from the girls.  Then they found a few rocks to put over the grave.

Goodbye Lottie, we will miss you and your wiley ways.

We have no plans to get another hamster any time soon.  We gave it a valiant effort, but I think the girls have learned enough about the circle of life for now.  Maybe when they are older and able to be more responsible with a pet, we’ll try again.