going to be a rough night.

My six year old sons hamster died this morning. He will be devastated. I feel horrible that I have to tell him.
My husband told me to go buy a new one and not tell him but I just can't.
RIP Spaghetti Man the hamster.

awww I am so sorry! Maybe tell him then ask if he wants to get another one or? I don't know the answer. My parents used to tell me that they gave my cat to the vets for another home but found out later that they pts. So maybe say something about someone needing another home for him/her?  hmm. I don't know what I would say...sorry for your loss again.

Awwwwww. He was adorable. :heart2: I'm so sorry. :heart2: How did your son take it?

He cried and then helped bury him. He was quiet until bed. But all in all I think he handled it very well.
He was aware that spaghetti man was getting old.
He was full grown when we got him and he lived 2 1/2 years. Russian dwarfs usually only live 2 years.

I"m so sorry about your hamster.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your hamster.

(Awesome name, by the way.)

I think you did the right thing by letting your son know he had passed and then letting him help you bury him. It's a tough thing for kids to have to go through, but so much better than him believing his pet "Went to live on a farm", or whatever the hamster equivalent might be, and then working out what really happened for himself later.

I applaud your being gently honest about death with your son.  It might be an opening to talk about letting go and loving again, when you get another pet for him.  Good work. 

I think you handled it is exactly the right way. ~Kids have to learn the facts of life sooner or later and death is one of the most difficult to introduce. But if you hide it and they find out, then they will have lost a great deal of trust in anything you say or do. Far better to face it as a family and show that death is a part of life and can be celebrated with ritual and mutual comforting.

Thank you for the kind words. Sorry if I'm short had emergency surgery yesterday

BBDOLL22 said:

Thank you for the kind words. Sorry if I'm short had emergency surgery yesterday

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Oh no! I hope you are OK.

Ruptured ovarian cysts and removed my appendix

Very sorry. Ovarian cysts are painful and the appendix on top of this!

Get better soon! Take it easy!

Thanks.
We were supposed to go yesterday to get him a new one but I obviously couldn't.
He wants me and him to pick one out because we picked his first one out just me and him.

I"m so sorry about your son's hamster and your emergency surgery.  You did the right thing telling your son the truth.  My mom lied to me when I was 10 and told me Samantha "ran away".  It was devastating to me both at the time, and when a few years later I figured it out and she confessed.  Lying to your kids is never good.  They always find out.  

Ginny said:

 
I"m so sorry about your son's hamster and your emergency surgery.  You did the right thing telling your son the truth.  My mom lied to me when I was 10 and told me Samantha "ran away".  It was devastating to me both at the time, and when a few years later I figured it out and she confessed.  Lying to your kids is never good.  They always find out.  

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very true...yep be honest because then the child will learn to be honest about other things when they get older. I always resented them for not giving me the choice of whatever they did to the animal/situation. Always felt everything in my life then was out of my control and for a child that's a scary thing to have no faith in anyone or anything. You did the right thing.

foxxycat said:

 
very true...yep be honest because then the child will learn to be honest about other things when they get older. I always resented them for not giving me the choice of whatever they did to the animal/situation. Always felt everything in my life then was out of my control and for a child that's a scary thing to have no faith in anyone or anything. You did the right thing.

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My mom and I were always close, but I never quite believed her after that.  I grieved for Samantha all over again when I found out the truth.  No relationship is ever perfect, even the best of them.  I have to mention too that in her latter years she did a 180.  She got a kitty named Cissy whom she loved more that life itself!  She didn't even want a cat when I took her back to the breeder where I got Sam and Garfield.  But the moment she set eyes on Cissy, she fell hopelessly in love!  I would do mom's memory such an injustice by not mentioning that.  Just because what was true of her when she was younger doesn't mean she didn't change and learn to really love all animals.  Cissy lived the life of a queen!    

I am glad I told him the truth. I knew it would hurt now but if I didn't tell the truth it would come back and bite me.

Sorry about the hamster You know, shelters often have hamsters available for adoption. You really don't need to buy one from a pet store. When you're feeling better, you can take your son to the shelter to look for hamsters.

Hope you're feeling better soon

Poor guy.  I would have told him the truth too.  It's hard to see them hurt; but I think it's better they have the truth with us to support them.  

I hope you are feeling better soon too!! 

Sorry to hear you had to have surgery @BBDOLL22  It's really been a rough week for you, hasn't it?