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
Discover more from The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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
Alexandra
It must have been hard for your daughter, first of all to be near Meatball after such a trauma, and then, to have him leave too. And I love that you managed to find him a wonderful home to live out the rest of his days.
I miss my days of having pets but they are a lot of work. Even fish in a tank.
Elisabeth
Don’t tell me fish are a lot of work. Eeks. I don’t want work!! (But I am VOWING to outsource the work to my husband and son…)
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
Cattis
We currently have 3 cats (Pikachu, Torkel and Grävlingen which means the badger 🦡) and a flock of chickens. We started with 6 hens and a rooster but I’ve since become obsessed and we now have 21 but that’s too many. We have 5 roosters ( 4 were cute little chickens earlier but are now very noisy teenagers) so at least 3 of them have got to go (to my freezer, yum) but I’m waiting to see how they develop because I want to keep the best one or two. Ok, my obsession is with colour on the eggs. Right now it’s rest season for them but in the new year we’ll have blue, green, dark brown almost reddish, pink, olive green and different shades of brown eggs! 🌈 CAN’T wait for easter next year!
We’ve had: a horse, a dog, a couple of rabbits, guineapigs (we sold Harry Potter and Ron this time last year but we actually had Fred, George and Dobby also but they died of old age), fish. Hmm yes I belive that’s all the animals we’ve had as a family. I grew up on a farm, my dad raised bulls and had some sheep as well as cats and dogs of course. Before my parents separated we also had pigs, ducks, chickens.
I’m really happy with the pets we have at the moment. I always dreamed having my own horse and dog and I’m happy to have fulfilled those dreams. Don’t want to repeat it though, they’re to dependent. I enjoy cats and chickens, you let them in/ out, make sure they have feed and water and clean up after them when needed. Perfect!
Elisabeth
Wow! Your place sounds a like a lot of fun! I have a friend that raises chickens and the different egg colours are so cool.
Harry Potter and Ron…Fred, George, and Dobby – love it. As a Harry Potter fan (and as the mom of a daughter who has adored Harry Potter for years and years), this makes me smile.
Diane
Hello Ferrari!
I had hamsters growing up. They were all named Herman. They were escape artists. One time we found one of the hamsters in the upstairs bathroom – she had climbed out of the aquarium and up a flight of stairs. I didn’t realize hamsters had such short life spans, though. I wish someone had told me because I was really upset whenever my hamsters died and thought it was my fault. But really they were probably just old.
We currently only have fish. We had a cat for a while before we had kids, and periodically we will dogsit, but having a pet full time that needs daily attention is beyond us right now.
Elisabeth
Herman! It’s so cute when people just keep naming their new pets the same thing. I like the continuity. A friend that has had betta fish for years and years calls every single one Mr. Fishy (how original, right?).
Belle had a friend that lost one after about 6 months 🙁
Cattis
It is a lot of fun 😉 the Harry Potter names did spill over to the chickens as well, our current rooster is named Sirius Black and he had a sister who was called Nymphadora but the fox got her, sadly… I’m thinking I should name a hen Molly after Molly Weasley.
Lisa’s Yarns
I am not a pet person but I do like cats. I had one in high school but he lived outside and just came inside for visits. Phil and I had a cat but she was not great with kids so she lives with my MIL now. We will get another cat after she passes but that is years from now.
Beyond that, I am a hard pass on any other kind of pet!!
Elisabeth
I will admit I do NOT read you as a cat person, so I think it’s sweet that you are…too bad your current cat isn’t great with kids 🙁 I’m sure your MIL enjoys the company, though.
Lisa’s Yarns
To be honest, if Phil wasn’t such a hard core cat person, I’d be fine with never having a pet… but he adores cats so much and it’s such an endearing quality! And I think it will be nice for the boys to someday have a pet. Next time we get a cat we will be looking for someone incredibly chill. Oscar was part of a litter of kittens from a farm and she was WILD from the start and then became very particular about who she likes (basically only Phil).
Elisabeth
I had no idea it was Phil who liked cats so much! That isn’t what I expected!!!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
RIP Meatball.
I always (and still kinda) wanted a tortoise. However my mom is not very pet friendly. When she finally caved and wanted to buy a tortoise they told her in the pet store that they are on the endangered list and can not be purchased currently. But since she was already there she picked up an albino guinea pig. He was named Strolchie and lived in a baby bath tub for the first couple of his years until he managed to escape that. He was very old and he followed my sister around like a dog in the garden. The activeness during the night was very annoying to me too. But he died after many years. Not sure but he was also older than average.
But pets do put restrictions on travel and so we are more or less agreed to be a non pet household.
Elisabeth
Agreed that pets make it harder to go places! Even a hamster really did impact our planning process for being away.
A tortoise seems like a very sweet pet. I think a fish is perfect for me – no need to handle it and very basic food requirements. Though Kae is warning me cleaning the tank isn’t always much fun. BUT, I have told John that’s his job 😉
Birchie
Ferrari wins Best Pet Name Ever.
RIP Meatball, and congrats on a life well lived.
I had cats as a child, and lived most of my adult life pet free. Then Stepdog came into our lives and as a result we will never not have a dog. Doggo is a handful, but she makes us very happy.
Elisabeth
It is pretty cute, isn’t it! And Indy is just so, so, so enthusiastic.
Doggo has fit into your lives so seamlessly. I know she’s been A LOT of work (counter surfing, anyone?), but clearly brings so much joy. I love this for you.
Ernie
RIP Meatball and welcome Ferrari. We had a dog when I was a baby, but had to give him to my grandparents when I was 4? My brother was deathly allergic. I always wanted a dog, but now as an adult with a busy house. No interest. As a teen my dream dog was an Old English Sheepdog that I would’ve named Buster. Coach lived here for 2 years after college and bought a puppy without asking us. I’m allergic to dogs (more so to cats), but not deathly. Fortunately my allergy shots that I started as an adult made it possible for Lad’s puppy to reside with us, but I did NOT enjoy it. I was home with him all day, running a daycare. Eek.
Elisabeth
I’m more allergic to cats as well, but both can really set my allergies off. I know of someone that has a cat and takes an allergy pill every day. I guess if you love cats and you’re allergic…it’s the only thing to do?!
iHanna
RIP Meatball.
I had a hamster as a kid – he was very cute and called Wille.
I hope you can help your daughter get over her animal fear, because critters are such a joy and comfort to so many.
I was actually bitten by a dog as a kid, and my mom said they play acted dogs with me, talked about dogs, looked at dog images to help me not be fearful and it might have worked, or I might not have developed a fear of animals anyways, who knows… I don’t know, but as far as I can remember I’ve always loved animals and dogs in particular. I am very grateful for that.
Elisabeth
It is odd how some people get over those things easier than others. A family member was attacked and badly bitten by a dog (needed surgery and all sorts of reconstructive work) and SHE WANTS TO BE A VET and spends as much time as possible being around animals. I would be traumatized by life.
Alexandra
Elisabeth, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but even a fish tank need cleaning and you have to check the PH of the water regularly depending on the fish you’re keeping, but probably not as much work as a hamster. So that’s good, right?
Elisabeth
I refuse to think about fish care because I have told John that is all his responsibility. I am SO hoping this ends up working out for me…
Alexandra
Ha! Ha! Delegation is always works for me.
San
Oh, I was wondering about Meatball.. and I am sad to hear that he passed away (although I knew they don’t get very old). I am glad he got adopted after it was clear that Belle didn’t want to handle him anymore.
Ferrari however is a beautiful fish and I hope Indy will enjoy it very much!
Stephany
Aww, poor Meatball. We had hamsters growing up and one of them was VICIOUS with the biting. Mine was a sweet, sweet angel. HA. I’m glad Meatball was able to live out his life happily in a new home!
And welcome to Ferrari! What a fun name for a fish.
I am most definitely a pet person. All pets! I don’t discriminate.