I have pet updates!
First, a warm welcome to Ferrari – Indy’s first ever pet fish. He is in love with this little guy and checks on him constantly. We had the tank all set up when he came home from school on his birthday, but John took him to the pet store the next morning to pick out a fish + a second hiding structure. (We found the grey one at a thrift store for $3, and they bought the seaweed-covered one at the pet store.)
Indy (and the entirety of our family) is obsessed with Formula 1, loves cars in general, and is particularly enchanted with race-car driver Lewis Hamilton who will be leaving Mercedes at the end of this season and joining Ferrari. So it was an excellent naming choice for a bright-red/orange fast-swimming fish!
Secondly, in sad news, Belle’s hamster Meatball has passed away. There is a bit more to the story than that, and long-time readers may have noticed Meatball didn’t get many mentions on my blog over the last year.
That’s because…he was adopted by a friend.
Belle got Meatball – an adorable Fancy Bear hamster – back in July 2022. We had him for over a year, but pet care wasn’t her favourite job, he was housed in her room and his nighttime activity would frequently wake her up (eventually he moved to the basement, but it wasn’t ideal), he actually escaped from his cage twice, and it was challenging to arrange for someone to come feed and care for him when we travelled.
All of that would have been manageable, but he did nip me a few times and once drew blood and that was the final straw for Belle. She was attacked by an animal when she was a toddler and has been afraid of most animals ever since. Dogs, in particular, but really anything can be stressful (little betta fish aside). Meatball never bit Belle, but the fear of that happening meant I was handling more and more of his care and it wasn’t sustainable.
A friend of ours who has a history of having hamsters agreed to adopt Meatball.
Meatball went on to live an INCREDIBLE life in this new household. Our friend made him elaborate cardboard mazes and played with him and cuddled him daily. And, right up until the end, he was active and enthusiastic.
Unfortunately, the vet believes he developed a brain tumour and as a result he had to be put down a few weeks ago. At the ripe ol’ age of AT LEAST 2.5 years. The vet said it was the oldest hamster she had ever treated in her practice.
I don’t see us getting any more furry pets in the near-future, but Meatball was a sweet addition to our family for long enough that he will always be remembered with love and affection.
Your turn. Would you consider yourself a “pet” person? Do you currently have pets? Favourite name you’ve ever had for a pet?
Header photo by Ahmed Zayan on Unsplash
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mbmom11
I am a cat lady, and we currently have 2 cats. We also take care of my daughter’s dog and cat when she and her husband go on a trip.
We didn’t have a pet for the first years of our marriage; my mom was allergic to cats and I wanted to keep my house cat free so she could visit. My favorite name for our pets is Jinx.
Elisabeth
Jinx. Awww…
My dad and I are very allergic to cats; John likes cats and I think he’d have one if I wasn’t allergic. Even if I wasn’t, if we had a cat, it would mean my dad could NEVER come visit. Dogs impact me too, but nothing like cats…
Melissa
Wow, I didn’t realise hamsters had such short lives. It sounds like Ferrari will be a good fit for your family. As you know, we have Riley and before him we had Harry who was also a Golden Retriever. We are not very imaginative at our pet naming.
Elisabeth
Most hamsters are 1-2 years. So Meatball defied the odds living at LEAST 2.5 years.
Yes, a fish is the right speed for me. I love the idea of a dog and there are elements of it that really appeal to me (a companion when John is away, someone to take for walks)…but I know it wouldn’t be a good fit for us – at least in this stage of life.
Grateful Kae
Awww, RIP Meatball! That is the hard part about hamsters/ rodents- they really just don’t live that long (even though Meatball had a “long” hamster life). You know we cycled through several hamsters over the last years- Ethan first had Speedy, and then later the boys got brothers Flint and Steel. When they passed away, Asher got one named Summer. She just died this past year and now we’re officially done with hamsters, too. Neither boy expressed any interest in continuing to own hamsters, even though they were really into it while it lasted. I can understand how Belle would be nervous- hamsters definitely CAN be nippy, unfortunately. One of my rabbits as a child was nippy (well, she was maybe just kind of mean! LOL!) and it made it hard to really interact with her as much as ideal! It does make you jumpy.
I love the name Ferrari for Indy’s beautiful fish! Back when Ethan had gotten Speedy, Asher had a Beta fish named Rainbow who lived a good long time too. He was really pretty and I loved the tank- we had bright blue rocks and then he had fluorescent decorations (a hiding rock and these bright silk plants) and it was really cool looking. The only negative about fish ownership is that I found cleaning the tank to be more laborious than cleaning a hamster cage. But overall, great pick for a fun easy pet!
Elisabeth
I don’t think I knew that Summer had passed. It does feel more like a tween sort of pet? I don’t know many adults that keep hamsters.
Meatball had a lot of energy and wasn’t big about snuggling. So I think that adding that to being (only occasionally – no more than normal) nippy was just a bit too much for Belle.
The take home from me from the last month of blogging is that RABBITS MAKE THE WORST PETS.
I have already told John I am washing my hands of tank care. We’ll see how that goes…somehow I’m sure at least some of it will fall to me, but we have a friend who has had betta fish for decades and he seemed to indicate it’s not too onerous?
Nicole MacPherson
Awww, too bad about Meatball but it sounds like he lived his best life! I mean, this is how we got Rex, he was rehomed to us, and it was the best decision for both families.
Ferrari! I love it.
Elisabeth
Yes! Meatball lived such a happy end of his life and the friend who adopted him was going through a really rough period with her health and I think the companionship and someone to cuddle was much appreciated. Really a win, win.
Jessica
I’m sorry to hear about Meatball but it sound like he had a “long” lovely life. I am absolutely a pet person, especially dogs. In fact I prefer most dogs to people :-). We have a dog now who is very well loved and so spoiled by everyone in our household. I’d love to get another dog but my husband is content with one for now.
Elisabeth
I think a lot of dog owners share your sentiments about dogs (being easier to deal with than people).
I also think it takes complete buy-in by parents. We know a family who bought a dog for their kids but he grew into a GIANT who is very strong and so all the care falls to the parents which I don’t think they love. I love that everyone in your household loves your current dog. Sounds like the best of all the worlds for both pet and human.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Um, is 2.5 years old very old for a hamster? I don’t even know. I had a beta fish and I cannot remember their name but know that they did not live very long, plus I realized that fish are not really my type of pet. In case you are wondering, I don’t think I killed the fish, but you never know; maybe I did it on accident? I really can’t remember except to note that my fish owning days were short lived. I am sure that Indy will do a much better job taking care of Ferrari though! I had a lot of cats and a dog growing up. My naming skills were pretty boring; I am pretty sure I had a Blackie, a Cocoa, a Callie, and a Whiskers to name a few.
Elisabeth
Yup. Very old. It’s fairly unusual for them to get to 2. And apparently the vet said it was the oldest hamster she had ever treated (now I’m sure some hamsters are older and just die naturally – Meatball needed to be put down because of some health complications which, thankfully, cropped up suddenly so he wasn’t in distress for any length of time).
I think betta fish are the same 2-3 years?
Whiskers. Love that one. It sounds like a perfect name for a cat; stereotypical, which makes it even more sweet somehow.
Jenny
Welcome Ferrari!!! Yes, I had noticed Meatball wasn’t making an appearance, and well… I just assumed he was “gone” (these things never end well). You know I’m a pet person! I currently feel like we actually have too many, AND my daughter has been asking for a rabbit (NO.) Ferrari seems like a great fit for your family!
Elisabeth
I have heard nothing good about rabbits lately (although a dear friend’s daughter has one and they never complain about it being mean/nippy, troublesome…but maybe they just got lucky).
I’ve lost track of what you have…2 cats? Do you still have guinea pigs? And then there are the rats?
Lindsay
I’m sorry about Meatball, but also so happy he had such a lovely and supported life. And, Ferrari seems like the perfect pet addition to your household; I grew up with fish tanks and have so many memories of my fish friends. We are for sure pet people – dogs, in general and, to be more specific, dogs that don’t shed and aren’t so big that they scare me but are big enough that the Mr is cool with them. We currently have my mom’s dog that only fits the doesn’t shed category, but are researching puppies for next year which feels wildly overwhelming but also wildly right for all 3 of us.
Elisabeth
Yes – he had a great life and I’m glad there is a nice conclusion (well, the death of a pet isn’t nice, but it’s good to know he had such a great life and it ended in great care at the vet).
I can’t wait to follow along with your puppy journey. I don’t think I realized you had to take care of your mom’s dog. I’m sure that brings up a lot of emotions, but I’m glad it doesn’t shed. Your description of size is hilarious – not too big, not too small…just right. You need to find a “Goldilocks” dog <3
Allison
Ferrari and Meatball are such splendid pet names, R.I.P. Meatball, what a cutie.
I love dogs and cats but am sort of a reluctant pet person. We had a cat that I loved, but Angus had asthma and Matt’s cousin had a friend that lived on a farm and wanted a cat, so she went to live with them. We got Lucy because Eve was desperate for a dog, and she did walk her and take care of her but I was home all day so Lucy considers herself my dog, and then Eve went to university, and my husband travels constantly. I love Lucy (ha) but I am an introvert and now I am never truly alone – except when my friend Sonia and her daughter Avani take her for a few days, which works out splendidly and Lucy loves it but I feel just as guilty as I did when I needed a break from my kids. Is it possible I constantly overthink this? Why yes, yes it is. Anyway, I love her but we will not get another dog.
Elisabeth
I’ve heard similar things from a few people – they love their dog but won’t get another because…it’s a lot. It is like having another child to manage and I think because you have so much on your plate and are often the only one home, it makes a lot of sense you get tired of having it all fall to you.
Lucy is absolutely adorable, though…she looks like a wonderful companion.
Alexandra
As someone who had a couple of hamsters as a kid, I can attest to the fact that they sometimes nip, but that’s because they eat and chew everything. I’m glad Meatball got to have a long and happy life. And we always had a fish tank in our house as long as I can remember. My dad kept tropical fish everywhere we went.
Long may Ferrari reign.
Elisabeth
Yes! Meatball was doing what came naturally to a hamster and I had no problem with it…but for Belle who had a history of a pretty traumatic animal incident, it was just a bit too much. It was my idea to re-home him, but I didn’t get any pushback. It was a win, win.
Ha! Ferrari is very much king of his underwater castle <3
Suzanne
Awww, I’m so glad that Meatball found a new home. Ferrari is gorgeous and “Ferrari” is a fantastic name!
Elisabeth
It suits both the fish and the boy who named him <3