what to do with hamster's body?

[SnowyShiloh]

Hi guys, my sweet little dwarf hammy, Lily, died today. I made a thread about her in the Rainbow Bridge forum. I need your help regarding what to do with her body. The ground is already frozen here. My boyfriend gently suggested putting her in the garbage, but I can't do that! I don't really want to keep her in the freezer until summer, but I will if there are no other options. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you!

 

[Flashy]

Could you maybe pour boiling water over the floor to unfreeze it and then bury her?

Or maybe find a vet that could cremate her for you?

I'm so sorry for your loss. x

 

[undergunfire]

I know how awkward and odd it sounds, but a lot of goosemooser's keep their deceased rat's bodies in the freezer to be buried when the ground unfreezes. I have read that everytime they open the freezer, though, they think about their babies.

If you chose this option, just put the little body in an area of the freezer that you do not use often.


I am sorry for your loss :rainbow:.

 

[JimD]

I'm so sorry

We've had several hammies (15) that are now at the Bridge.
A few of them crossed during the winter when the ground was frozen.
Keeping them in the freezer until Spring was not an option (per MrsD :shame).

I hacked away at the frozen ground with shovels, picks, axes, etc.
I found that using a power drill with a long boring bit worked well. Ruined the bit, but made it really easy to break up the frozen dirt. Reminded me of the coal miners with the steam drills.

I'd wrap them up all warm and cozy inside one of my old tube socks, and find a nice little box for them. I used ceramic floor tiles as markers, and the kids would paint the hammies name on them.

 

[okiron]

*huggies*

I had the semi-same problem with Nilla. Except instead of ground being frozen..we had no ground to bury him in. Apartments have nice grass and I don't think they'd appreciate me digging it up for a burial site. Grossed people out but he was in a shoe box in my room for 3 days because I couldn't figure out what to do. And my roommate would kill herself if I stuck him in the freezer. My boyfriend ended up finding a small patch behind a bunch of bushes to be able to dig and not be noticeable. Was a pain to dig their though because it was behind everything. And weirdly, no he didn't smell. I think it had to do with me being less than 2 miles from the ocean with the salty, cool breeze that help preserve him a bit.

 

[seniorcats]

Most vets provide body care and offer burial and cremation options. Since cremation is based on weight and whether you get the ashes back or not, it shouldn't cost too much for a hammy.

 

[maherwoman]

One thing you could do, to make her body being in the freezer easier on you...is to put her in a ziplock (obviously) and then in a box, and maybe put stuff around it so it doesn't stick out as so obvious to you everytime you go in the freezer. Sorta hide it...know what I mean?

I don't know other than that, honestly. I don't know what my mother did with my gerbils fifteen years ago when I lost them...I just don't remember, I'm sorry, Sweetie...

My love to you during this difficult time...

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Hi guys, thanks for the ideas. Right now I'm leaning towards the putting her in the freezer. I could make her a little fleece blankie and wrap her in it, then put her in a ziplock bag and then in a little container. I know the blankie wouldn't really keep her warm, but at least I'd feel a little better about it. We buried her friend, Emmy, right by a lake when she died and we could take Lily to the lake and bury her by Emmy when the ground thaws.

When I was little and my first mouse died, my dad took a distraught me to the store and bought me a small glass Corningware dish with a plastic lid, some pretty tissue paper with hearts on it and a gold paint pen. I wrapped the mouse in the paper, wrote all over the container with the pen and then we buried him in the backyard. We did the same with all my other little pets that died when I lived there and when I was out of the country and my hamster died, my dad buried her in the same fashion. I think I'll get the same type of dish and do it with Lily!

Thank you for your support and good ideas!

 

[naturestee]

I had the same problem with my little hammy Fuzznugget. My hubby's parents have a crop farm, so James dug a little grave between the silos where all the spilled grain has piled up over the years. It was still hard to do because it was frozen, but not as bad as digging into the ground. So he buried little Fuzzy in hamster heaven, with all the grain he could eat. And poured a bunch of water over the ground so it would freeze again, to prevent anything from digging him up.