Hamster Woes

A year and a half ago, ex-friends took Kennedy to get a hermit crab for her birthday and came back with a hamster. Thanks. Kennedy named the hamster Richard. We told her she is financially responsible for Richard. She religiously saves for Richard's bedding, food and other hamster needs. She asks for gift cards to the pet store for Christmas and birthday presents. She is obsessive about having money for him. She tends to him diligently. Cleans his cage, over feeds him and takes very good care of him. He has turned out to be a very good hamster as far as hamsters go.

On Saturday, she went to check on him and came upstairs horrified. He had a huge (in relation to hamster size), purple, water balloonish looking bump on his side. So, in 14 inches of new snow, we take Richard to the vet.

Let me just say that I felt silly taking this hamster to the vet. I was kind of laughing when I told the receptionist we were there for a hamster. I was really horrified when there was another woman there with a hamster. Okay, this woman was close to 50 years old and owned a hamster. Not her child's or grandchild's hamster but her own hamster. She had come out in the worst snow in our area for her own hamster's ailments. She and Kennedy were comparing notes. I was thinking I was like this creepy lady and that made the experience go from silly to depressing.

We see the vet and Richard has a tumor and if it is not immediately removed he will die. The vet says the emergency surgery will be about 100 dollars and we will then have to administer an antiobiotic for a week. This is all very bad timing. We just spent X amount of money to get G and K home and emergency hamster surgery was not in our budget. In addition, administering hamster antiobiotic was not on my to do list in the final days before the kids come home.

But here we are. Richard with his purple water balloon tumor, Kennedy crying and me thinking that we could buy a new hamster for $12.95.

When your child is crying over a very loved pet financial reasoning loses out. Kennedy is adding up how much money she has in cash, her hamster savings and gift cards. I tell her they do not take the pet store gift cards at the vet. She was crushed. She broke my heart.

I told we would pay for the surgery and she can pay the copayment. She paid $25 dollars of the $108 dollar surgery. We had a good conversation about health insurance and unexpected bills. Richard has a two inch scar on his side and the purple water balloon is now replaced with purple stitches. The gave him an antibiotic shot ( I think that was the extra $8) and we were spared trying to administer antiobiotics to a hamster. Richard is doing well and all is well in the world.