In Memory of Lucy
February/March 2005 - 22 June 2006

After two weeks of battle with an unknown disease Lucy passed on while I was away.



When a hamster passes away, to some, it is just another animal death not worthy of thought. Nor, do some think, that the phrase "passes away" is as suitable as "dies". Others feel sympathetic, while a few grieve the lost of their pets. But when Lucy passed on, I didn't lose a pet; I didn't lose a hamster. I lost a friend, a child whom I have held, played with, and whose antics I have watched. A child who grew before my very eyes from a small fearful youngster to a bubbly fat lady. Now, no loud clankings of the cage gate will ever tell me that the little one has awaken and biting on the wires. Now, no eyes, one red and the other black will look back at me again. Now, only emptiness fill my palms when I wish to hold her firm body. But she didn't suffer any longer, and for that I am glad. She "had her eyes and mouth closed, like she was sleeping" when her tiny little soul left her body. And for that I am also glad. She found her final resting place in the dirty waters of the river, and that is hard to swallow. But only her body flows in the river, and that would eventually be claimed by Mother Nature. Her soul though, lives forever. While the whole population of the Earth never knew her existence, Lucy endures in my heart.

Short Biography

She wasn't the most active hamster amongst the many at Toby Pets. While few others were scurrying around, an orange figure sat and cleaned itself, eyes closed. It caught my eye because it was the largest among the numerous others, and I needed one that is big enough to accompany Lulu who was already quite big. After ensuring that she was indeed female, the little creature who would soon be named Lucy was carried home in a small red cardboard box. She would squeal every time my finger went close. Long after we were home, and long after she got acquianted with my scent and touch, Lucy was moved from the glass aquarium into the cage where Lulu was asleep.

It wasn't the best start to friendship that I had hoped for. Lucy, the largest of her batch and yet only half the size of Lulu, naturally was afraid to approach her new roomie. And Lulu initially was not that friendly either though later, to my relief, the two soon shared the blue roofed house. To speed up her growth, Lucy was given a larger helping of food. Of course her greedy hamster nature helped alot in this effort. She once hoarded all the carrots, peas and corns - Lulu's portion included - in her cheek pouches that her head became almost twice as large as her bottom. A little greedy bully she was!

Lucy eventually outgrown Lulu, yet she was an ever cautious little hamster, taking the ladder instead of jumping off the floor, feeling her way properly before landing from the tunnel. But she was still a bully. A fat, furry, cautious, yet adorable little bully. During the days when the two no longer get a long well, and fights were frequent, Lucy had always inflicted more injuries on Lulu than what she got in return. Fierce yet fearsome. That was Lucy.

Long distance hello

I heard they now wet their own houses instead of doing their business on the beddings. Their cages have also been moved. Saw Lu and Luce over the webcam yesterday. I want to hold them in my hands....

Roasted pigs

When I woke up this morning I walked straight up to their cage. Lulu was all fours on the roof of the house, watching - what, I don't know. But she was watching, not intently, just sort of taking in the surroundings. The morning was bright and hinted on a sunny day ahead. Outside, the birds chirped. Her head lifted a little to the chirping, and listened attentively. Now this is why I say she's intelligent. It seems she pays attention to everything around her, listening, seeing. And she can do this longer than any hamsters I've ever met.

Today Lulu slept in the tunnel while Lucy slept on the groud floor of the cage. The house wasn't popular today.

Gave them guavas in the evening. Held a slice of it near Lucy, and she bit on it, before holding the fruit with her two hands and ply it away. Hamsters are cute when they eat! There are a few corns left on the dish. I supposed they've had too much of mixed veg. Will give them some eggs tomorrow.And bread. Boy do they love bread!! I think it was during the particularly busy week when I first gave them bread. Lulu stuffed everything in her mouth.

Went to visit Hamster's grave. This was my first visit since I buried Hamster in January. Except for the slightly sunken ground, the burial spot has blended in with the rest of the ground, even grass has grown on it. Poured some sand on the spot to even it out. Hamster had eyes just like Lulu's; big and black. It had white midsection, also like Lulu, but with a tinge of grey and black on its brown fur. I never found out Hamster's sex. When it was alive I was told it was female and Lulu, male. But I later found out that Lulu's female, by then Hamster was already resting in peace.

While I cleaned the cage (sometime close to ten), I left Lu and Luce to run around in the living room. I dislike keeping them in the small cage. It's imprisonment. Pets should be roam freely if possible, and I want Lu and Luce to be able to stretch their legs, run fast and wild to their liking, and enjoy as much freedom as possible.

Hamsters are like Play-Doh. They can be round and yet in a blink of an eye they're flat. Lulu and Lucy can run the tunnel for what seemed like eternity, and just suddenly they're lying low and still like roasted pigs. When I saw them doing that this evening after cage cleaning I took out the videocam and shot twenty minutes of hamster antics. They're doing it right now. Still as roasted pigs. Eyes open, as if pondering something.

Houseless Hamsters

Took out the house to wash and left to dry. Lulu and Lucy are taking their turns on the wheel right now. These days, Lulu has taken a liking to the tunnel. She'd hoard her food and slip into tunnel where she quietly takes her bite, and sleep in the tunnel during the day. This evening I noticed Lucy doing the same thing.

Hamsters on wheels are the cutest thing ever, bums swinging from side to side, legs propelling...

Lucy blues

Since moving into the new cage both Lu and Luce have discarded their old habit of bitting the bars....until last night. Lucy was her old adamant and stubborn self again, chewing savagely on the gate. Cutest thing is she knew it was the gate, and she wanted to get out. When I opened it she wasted not one second and scrambled out.

Put Lulu and Lucy out to walk in the house last night, taking turns of course, and under my watchful eyes.

The angelic side of Lucy finally wore off and she was forcefully driving Lulu down the tunnel again whenever they met.

Two weeks update

Friday, 25th June
2.00am
Lulu and Lucy fought. Had they not knocked the ladder I wouldn't have noticed their scuffle. Instinctively I put a hand in between to break the fight and was given a couple of scratches. Nothing serious, only two small grazes on my skin. Lulu however was not that fortunate. At first I didn't notice it, because after the fight Lulu went straight up to the house and licked herself. I checked Lucy for wounds but found none. Lulu then came out of the house and there on her left foot was a nasty bloody wound. I was concerned she may have anything severed but upon closer inspection -luckily- found all her toes to be intact. I'm taking no chances for the night. Took out the old blue cage and transferred Lucy into it.

Mid day
Put ointment on Lulu's foot. For the first time the hamsters slept in a seperate house each. There was nothing to suggest any outoward incidents hours earlier. Both slept soundly.

11.00pm
When I came home in the late evening, Lucy was inside the old cage again with Lulu. Apparently at dinner time Lulu was enjoying herself on the tunnels and Lucy, who was in the cage next to Lulu's, kept watching Lulu on tip toe, hands on the rails. She then entertained herself on the old wheel - the only amusement in the blue cage - but stop too sudden and flung out. That didn't stop her from pathetically watching Lulu in the greener pastures. Out of sympathy Lucy was brought back into the cage with Lulu, and both were happily playing in tunnels.

Now, I don't know of course, but sometimes things happen that suggests the two know when I speak to them. I warmed Lucy that if she ever is naughty again I will put her in the blue cage indefinitely. After that, she became an angel. Normally when the hamsters came across face to face in the tunnel, Lucy would be the one furiously pushing on Lulu's head till Lulu has to reverse, no matter how far in Lulu has climbed the tunnel. After my forewarning Lucy quickly backs up, and went the opposite way whenenever she encounter Lulu in the tunnel!

Last week of June
Haven't been watching Lu and Luce due to a busy week. Whenever I do, Lucy would most of the time be running in the wheel and Lulu was either in the house, lying and resting, or take her turn on the wheel but that is normally short lived as Lucy would push her way into the wheel again. When Lucy finally gets tired and takes a nap, Lulu happily has her scarce opportunity on the wheel.

Found out Lulu has a scar on the midsection. I suspect it was a wound from the fight on Friday that went unnoticed. Poor Lulu! The blood has dried up but the gash looked deep. By the end of the week though, both wounds were healed. The injury on her foot left a light grey scar.

Sad thought

I have decided not to bring Lu and Luce with me to Singapore. It is a very saddening thought. But leaving them for 2 weeks with a busy vet at every checkpoint is not what I have in mind for them. What if they fight? What if one changes the bedding and they get an infection?? What if they don't have enough to eat and drink?? It's not difficult for anyone to overlook hamsters when there are other more interactive pets around, like dogs and cats. I can't risk all that. I'll miss them. I may get other hamsters but there can never be another Lulu and Lucy.

My God, another fight. I wonder what's with them nowadays. Maybe they have been arguing, I don't know. They still share a house despite there being two. They seem to enjoy each other's company in the day. But it can be totally different when after the sun sets. I guess there is truce between the two for the meantime. Each is busy with her own hamster business.

Quarantine - no way

I just found out that in order to bring small mammals into Singapore, a two week quarantine is imposed on the pets. It's daunting to think that Lulu and Lucy are subject to the quarantine and for 14 days! Still unddecided on whether I should take them there.

Earlier, the two can't look each other in the eye without starting to fight. More than 5 times I had to break them up. As a last resort I forced them to face each other for about half a minute and miraculously after that, there was no more hostily in the cage. Lulu's enjoying herself in the wheel right now. The new wheel is a little larger and she fits comfortably in it.