HappyMaz Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 I joked on BrendaS' "dog sitting" thread about the possibility of the possibility of one of the elderly gerbils who we are looking after dying before his young (ten year old) owner comes back from holiday. Well we just found one of them has indeed died so now we have a dilemma. The family are back from their holiday on Saturday, and I wondered if there is any accepted etiquette about what to do when the pet you're looking after dies while the owner is on holiday. We don't have pets, but I guess if we did I would want the children to mark their deaths and have a proper 'funeral' to say goodbye. I have prepared a little box for the gerbil to go in (and we're negotiating as to who should remove the body!) but what do I do next? I've texted my friend but not unsurprisingly she seems to have her mobile switched off... So come on everyone - what do we do now? All advice greatfully received. Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 Oh M poor you...... If they are home on saturday i would put him in the box and keep in in shed or garage to give back to them to bury in thier garden - if it was longer bury hom in your garden, but its not hot so will be ok. Good luck xxxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 In this weather - think I'd be inclined to put -double wrapped and in a sealed box in freezer!! With this in mind though ~should be clearly marked! xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 It happened to me some years ago and I would definately follow suggestions for keeping it safe and cold until it's owner comes back to bury it.... I bought a little plant to go on top of hammy in the garden as my contribution - that seemed to go down well! Sarahx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 (edited) My daughter's snake and her beloved extremely geriatric hamster both died whilst in the care of a trusted school friend, different years. The family involved kept the hamster in much the way that has been suggested, but the snake, in view of the fact that it was in a heated cage* and due to the nature of reptiles it was some time before the demise was noted, buried it for us. The two girls remained firm friends, but there was much agonising from my daughter (then a teenager) that she wasn't around! The gesture of the plant is a lovely idea! Sue *CAGE!! Of course, I meant tank!! Edited August 16, 2007 by Sue R Temporary insanity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 This happened to me with a 5 year old and her budgie, we agonised for days over whether to tell her( we had to bury it as they had not long gone) we rang them and told the parents what had happened and they broke the news to her whilde they were and all she said was, "oh can i have a fish now!" She may reply but otherwise I would keep the box until saturday just incase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 Not a holiday story but one morning I found that my sons hamster had died but didn't have enough time to deal with it before going to work ( son aged 7 yrs and went to school unaware of tragedy). I phoned my then boyfriend to ask him to deal with it before we got home. When we got back from school the boyfriend took my son onto the balcony ( lived in a 1st floor maisonette), showed him a carefully, ornately wrapped box full of cotton wool but no hamster, he told my son the hamster had gone up into the clouds on his way to heaven. Son was sad but put on a brave face because he had a friend with him, he then went outside to play football. After half an hour or so he came in and said "Mum, someone elses hamster has died too but he hasn't gone to heaven". I was confused and asked what he was talking about. He then took me downstairs to the play area and showed me a hamster half hidden under a bush. As you can see, my son believed every word that came from my then boyfriends mouth, 'then' being the operative word, he'd only chucked the poor hamster over the balcony. Years later, my step daughter aged 13 yrs was telling me, her new step mum, all about how old her budgie lived to, she must have been at least 11 yrs old, she said. It was as she was telling me this her dad said laughing, ( not thinking), yes Peggy, we had 3 'Annies', ( the 3rd look a like being difficult to find) it was only then that the penny dropped for my step daughter. Hope the bereaved isn't too devastated ! I to like the idea of a flower, or mabe even a small rose bush to 'mark the spot'. Good luck. Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 16, 2007 Author Share Posted August 16, 2007 My friend has now texted me back - they'll tell the boys the gerbil has died tomorrow (for fear the youngest one won't sleep once he knows, and he's a boy who needs his sleep). Turns out the deceased belongs to the older brother but even so... Gerbil is now 'resting' peacefully in his lovely silver Ikea box (it was the only one I had to hand) and is awaiting sensitive burial on Sunday. I'm afraid gallows humour has set in here now we've informed the next of kin. There's talk of weed rat stew for tea... We're now watching the remaining gerbil like a hawk (if you'll forgive the phrase). Do gerbils pine for their missing mates I wonder? Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 ooww bless well done M ikea box sounds very fitting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 16, 2007 Author Share Posted August 16, 2007 ooww bless well done M ikea box sounds very fitting In more ways than one Hali - he looks very peaceful curled up into a perfect circle! Can't say that I'll be keen to use the rest as gift boxes though - and if anyone ever gives me a present in a silver Ikea gift box I shall be very suspicious indeed... Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 We were at a dinner party at a neighbour's house and left the children home alone (Shock, Horror - no actually the eldest was old enough, honest!). Anyway we had just finished the main course when the phone rang. 'Mum, just checked the hamster and she's lying funny and not moving but she looks like superman'. I trotted home and just as she said the poor deceased hamster was half in, half out the house doing a perfect superman in flight pose! I made suitable comments and returned to the party in time for dessert. How heartless am I???!!! At least yours died peacefully in its sleep if it was curled up and cosy-looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 17, 2007 Author Share Posted August 17, 2007 Well they came home from holiday this evening, and I have just delivered the body and the surviving gerbil home. The two young owners are very upset - the younger one was crying but the older one disappeared as soon as he saw me. Its obviously not cool to be seein grieving for your dead gerbil. I know my son is worried his friend won't talk to him - somehow he thinks its something we've done - and my friend is so apologetic that he died 'on our watch' so to speak. They're going to bury the poor little thing tomorrow - its so sad when children lose their pets, isn't it? Mind you, I couldn't believe it when I got in the car to deliver the animals home - Pie Jesu was playing on the radio. How fitting... Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 17, 2007 Author Share Posted August 17, 2007 And I forgot to say - thank you all so much for your helpful suggestions! Maz (who is now coming under extreme pressure from offspring to fill the gerbil-cage-sized-gap with a gerbillarium of our own.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 Don't do it, Maz!! I well remember cornering ours to get it back in it's cage after a run round and it literally leaping over the furniture to escape. they really are miniature kangaroos! Hamsters are much more amenable - my daughter's used to sit on her desk as she did her homework (under pressure, I might add ) eating cherry tomatoes from the greenhouse and toddling around the papers occasionally. She was a star, despite her rather unfortunate name 'Cak'! Lived to a mighty age for a hamster, too! Sue PS- of course, I mean it was my daughter doing the homework, not the hamster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wolfie Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 But who was under pressure...your daughter to do the homework or the hamster to supervise??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 Don't do it, Maz!! I well remember cornering ours to get it back in it's cage after a run round and it literally leaping over the furniture to escape. they really are miniature kangaroos! Hamsters are much more amenable - my daughter's used to sit on her desk as she did her homework (under pressure, I might add ) eating cherry tomatoes from the greenhouse and toddling around the papers occasionally. She was a star, despite her rather unfortunate name 'Cak'! Lived to a mighty age for a hamster, too! Sue PS- of course, I mean it was my daughter doing the homework, not the hamster Now if only I thought a hamster would encourage mine to do their homework (almost-17 year old nervously awaiting GCSE results, 15 year old bright enough to be in the Gifted and Talented programme but pathologically opposed to academic work of any kind, ten year old more interested in computer games than learning his times table). Hamsters are indeed the favoured pet of the moment - we're holding out strong at the moment but I do keep looking at the space so recently vacated by our house guests that I might weaken any minute... Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 My eldest daughter has been looking after a friends rats over the summer (not here, in her flat in Glasgow). I was down visiting in the week and they are actually very sweet. They do need a very big cage though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 I've managed to kill two yes two class hamsters by .....drowning sad but true and they still leave me in charge of children????? 1st pushed out the round stopper in his three storey rotastac cage and took a dive...into the fish tank at the side of his cage.He was in a bloated state on the Monday morning. 2nd Went missing a few times and we never figured out how it was getting out.We set traps of a plank with a trail of food up and some on a paper towel over a bucket.It worked well until the set was laid for a full week with no result.It wasn't until some one split some paint that he was found in the mop bucket I'm totally infavour of no pets in the classroom!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.