# hammy



## nationofamanda (Jan 19, 2010)

hi, my name is amanda and this is my first post in this forum and it is for my hedgehog hammy who died a few months ago of WHS.










i have always been a devoted animal lover, but my fiance is allergic to pretty much everything. somehow we heard that hedgehogs can sometimes be harmless to allergy sufferers and we looked into it. then bought books, and researched hedgehogs and pretty much feel for them even before we had even really seen one. we were considering looking into breeders when i randomly saw an ad on a classified website for someone trying to rehome a female hedgehog.

hammy (then named snowflake) came into our lives at a hasty meet and greet in a walmart parking lot with an exasperated mom and her crying four year old daughter. mom had smartly realized her daughter was too young for a hedgehog. she came with food (specifically the food EVERY information source had told us not to feed her) a small home with a too small hamster wheel and hamster sized igloo.

we quickly made the correct changes to her home and diet and fell in love with her.









however, it took hammy a month to decide to like us back, and finally she seemed to defy all the characteristics the books told us defined a hedgehog...she was happy to see us when we come home, ran in her wheel while we were around, let us rub her ears and licked our fingers hoping affection would make treats appear. she was such a sweetheart to everyone who knew her, happy to let friend and even (well behaved) children hold and touch her.









though we are unsure of how old she was, her former guardian wasn't quite sure since she had come from a pet shop, we estimate she was about three or four when she passed. WHS hit and she just failed to thrive immediately. we would have a good week, and it would be followed by a bad week. it was so up and down. one night we came home (after a good good week) and she just looked tired. she had pooped herself in her sleeping sack and didn't want to move. she refused water and food and i stayed up with her holding her until she died in my arms, wrapped in her blankies at 4:30 am.









she was our beautiful baby and only "child" we both miss her so much.
currently we our hedgehog-less, but making steps towards adopting soon.
no one will ever be our hammy but i'm sure she's glad she made lifetime hedgehog owners out of both of us.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

That's such a sad and beautiful story. And all the pictures were wonderful. I'm glad you gave Hammy such a great life.


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## ILOVElily (Dec 5, 2009)

I am so sorry for your loss  , she looked very happy in all those pics, and I'm sure she loved u just as much as u loved her.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Sorry about your little girl  you all looked very happy together and i'm sure she will be awaiting yalls arrival in the Kingdom of Heaven.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I sit in tears reading your wonderful tribute to a beautiful and obviously well loved little girl.


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## nationofamanda (Jan 19, 2010)

thank you nancy, i cried writing it too.


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## talibali (Aug 15, 2009)

I am crying still..and i read it 20 mins ago... this shows hoow mush of animal lover i am..........


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Probably not the time and place for this but I see you are from Texas and there is a massive rescue effort taking place in Texas maybe you could take one in.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Great idea Larry. viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4364


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## nationofamanda (Jan 19, 2010)

thanks larry, i'm happy to say that shortly after hammy passed away i applied to adopt a rescue on HWS's website and was approved and contacted not long after about the arlington bust. i'm happy to say we have been approved to adopt two females. when the dust settles on that mess me and mitch will bring home our new girls. needless to say the shopping has already begun.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

nationofamanda said:


> thanks larry, imm happy to say that shortly after hammy passed away i applied to adopt a rescue on HWS's website and was approved and contacted not long after about the arlington bust. i'm happy to say we have been approved to adopt two females. when the dust settles on that mess me and mitch will bring home our new girls. needless to say the shopping has already begun.


That's wonderfull news


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

That was a beautiful tribute to your little girl, and it's wonderful that you're going to share your love with two new babies who will be in desperate need of it. It's obvious that you and your fiance would be amazing parents to any hedgehog lucky enough to be taken home with you.


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## nationofamanda (Jan 19, 2010)

i'd have taken more if i had the space and the finances...but i think two is a perfect number for us...

thank you everyone for being so sweet.


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## strawberryfields (Oct 3, 2009)

Your tribute to Hammy was so beautiful, it had me in tears! You gave her a wonderful life. I'm so happy to hear that you're bringing home two new girls as well.  I'm sure that you will be giving hedgehogs love and long, happy lives for a very long time!


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## chrissie_salem (Jan 18, 2010)

this made me cry  hammy is sooo sweet


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

I made this for you, your little one was so beautiful both inside and out. ^_^










~Katie


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## tie-dye hedgie (Dec 19, 2009)

Amanda, that was a very beautiful tribute to Hammy, it also, along with several others, brought tears to my eyes. 

P.S.-It is wonderful of you to take in to hedgies from the rescue!


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## nationofamanda (Jan 19, 2010)

thank you alastrina for the beautiful avatar. i love it.
and again, thank you everyone for all the kind words.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Such a beautiful little angel! Your story, of course, made me cry. Only because she could not have stayed with you longer. How loved she is!


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## rainbowcookie (Dec 21, 2009)

What a beautiful tribute to Hammy. Thank you for sharing. She was very loved and very happy.

I'm excited about your rescues! We are getting 5 females (!) but I believe 2 have already found new homes in my area. I saw on another post that you have names picked out already!

I love your hedgie pic with the smile and the poopy boots!


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## nationofamanda (Jan 19, 2010)

thanks rainbowcookie, i drew it.


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