"Sherie, magba-bye ka na kay utoy."
These were the first words my dad said to me with when i woke up this morning. I immediately ran downstairs and found my hamster lying behind his house, not moving but still breathing. He was past 2 years, and given that we should have known this would happen soon. But Utoy (Batangueño for "little boy") has always been different. He's a survivor, a fighter as his
vet referred to him.
I vividly remember how we found him. I was at a shoot in Greenbelt when my sister told me she saw this really cute hamster in Bioresearch Glorietta while shopping for some kitty litter. Since
Jorem and I had to get empoy (his late hamster) some food, we decided to drop by the pet shop too. And there he was, bright eyed like a little boy, jumping up and down with his belly against the glass display. We asked them if I could hold him so they brought him out and gave him to me. He just sat on my palm and looked at me. I knew right there that I've found the most well-behaved hamster in the world. Jorem named him Utoy and
Ate Hunny called him GB (short for "good boy").
Six months later, he started losing weight, his hair was falling off, and he had a big lump in his tummy. The doctor diagnosed him with *Amyloidosis and was declared to live no more than 2-3 months. Cases like his happen to hamsters more than a year old. He was only a little over 6 months when this happened. But we fought it out. Even under medication, he never made it hard for me. He obediently drank his medicine without spills. We prayed, gave him vitamins regularly, kept him happy with treats and toys and in two months, he got stronger and stronger. There has never been a case in my vet's records that a hamster survived amyloidosis - but he did. He gained weight again, his hair grew fluffier than ever, and best of all - the lump in his tummy was gone! Dr. Marga called him a medical breakthrough, we prefer to call him a miracle. :)
He's a brave one too. There was one time Marti found his running ball empty with the lid off. We panicked because we had a cat in the house but then found him walking side by side with
Merlin, my ate's siamese. During
Nimmy's first week, we decided to introduce her to the hamster too. And so while Nimmy was still in a cage I and put them across each other. Probably curious, Utoy went straight down by the door and greeted our new family member. Even during those times Nimmy tried to reach for him he would just go to the edge where the cat was and look at her like she didn't know what she was doing. Soon, he would chase Nimmy around the house in his running ball when he was bored. I'm really gonna miss that too. :(
Even during his final moment, I could tell he was a fighter. He couldn't move anymore, and his eyes were blank, but he kept fighting as I touched his little head. Sometimes he'd stop for two seconds and I thought he was gone but he'd take a deeper breath and start breathing again. He held on for 40 minutes more when I went to see him, then took his final breath. I cried my eyes out as I put him in a box and cleaned his cage. He was really gone. My dad and I buried him beside empoy and put a little pot of flowers on his grave.
Now we say good bye to Utoy -
the Juan's most behaved pet.
lover of sunflower seeds, pandesal, cornflakes
and po
pcorn.
my dad's breakfast buddy.
Merlin's 3rd rodent friend
(and Nimmy's 1st).
our little boy.
the survivor.
my miracle hamster.
Sigh. It's never easy losing a pet. Never.
--------
*
Amyloidosis is a condition whereby proteins produced by the body are deposited in various organs, primarily the liver and kidneys. Kidney and liver failure often occur as a result of these protein deposits. Many other organs are also affected, and the changes are irreversible. Signs of this condition include swollen abdomen, urinary problems, dehydration, poor appetite, and rough haircoat. Supportive care is the only treatment since this condition is eventually terminal. (source: http://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/hamsters.htm)
