To A Beloved Pet

Dear Sharkbait,

You've been a wonderful hamster to me, from the day I got you from Animals & Things, until today, when my mom called and told me that you have, sadly, passed on. I will always remember July 6, 2005, when I stopped by Animals & Things and you caught my eye. You were in a cage with your brothers and sisters. They were sleeping (like all the other hamsters in the other cages), but you were running ferociously on your wheel. Once in awhile, you'd stop by the water bottle to get a drink of water, but you'd always resume right afterwards. You were also the only one in that cage with a solid gray coat of fur, which made you stand out. I asked them to bring your cage to the front. The movement woke your siblings up, but you didn't seem to mind. Instead, you became very curious and stood up to sniff the air around you. It was then that I decided you were the one that I wanted.

Throughout your life, you've warmed the hearts of many. The following examples definitely do not do you justice, but I just want to let people know what a wonderful pet you've been to me:

• Sophomore year, Buffalo St. Apt -- I was sleeping one night, and dreamed that something furry was crawling on my face. It turned out I wasn't dreaming...it was you. You cleverly escaped from your cage (like you've done for at least 3 times) and crawled up my face. It was a little scary, I must say, because you do tend to get kind of fast every time you escape, but I returned you to the safety of your cage. (But from that point on, I had to remove your wheel because you've escaped too many times...sorry.)
• Sophomore year, Buffalo St. Apt -- Do you remember my friend Shushan? She loved playing with you. You made her so happy. She would come to my room, take you to her room, and play with you for at least half an hour each time. I think she was very fascinated by you.
  
• Junior year, Becker -- I had to move you around a lot around this time due to dorm switches, inspections (or...potential ones), and school breaks. Even though you were probably terrified by these moves, your temperament was still very sweet. And you adapted to your new environments very quickly.
  

Having never bitten anyone, I can honestly say you're the nicest hamster I've ever had. You were there with me through the good and the bad and I'm sorry I wasn't there with you on your last day, but you'll always be with me in my heart.

Love,
H

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In Memory of Sharkbait (04.01.05 - 11.11.07)