in a pensive mood, at his fav cosy corner on the 2nd floor

sleeping soundly in our hands

mao mao's trademark huge pink nose

climbing out of his 'garden' effortlessly

in loving memory of mao mao

mao mao 1st joined us on 30/12/2007 from the SPCA. he was actually at the most bottom cage there and was sleeping soundly (as usual!) and didn't even stir until we took him out of the cage.

when we brought him home, we tot he was a lil too big and he had beady eyes and were a lil scared cos it's been some time since we adopted such a big hamster.

but gradually, he grew on us. he would tilt the cup containing his food with his huge paws so tt he could get the food. sometimes he would juz stand on his hind legs and juz freeze there for q a long time. n den at nite he would run on his wheel really vigorously and for a really long period of time! could hear the wheel spinning loudly! n when he's sleeping soundly in his cosy corner on the 2nd floor n refuse to be woken up. n when we bring him out when he's sleepy he'll sleep in ur hands.

mao mao was really a great help during this sem cos he really helped to relieve stress, esp during studying period! would go n check out what he's doing nearly every hour cos i couldnt focus. n would take him out n play n take photos of him whilst he's scooting ard on my notes sprawled on the table. feel bad cos i always like to squeeze him slightly but he only kicks his little legs fervently to protest.

mao mao + di di on my 23rd bdae. look at how cute mao mao is!

09/05/2007: the day mao mao left for hamster heaven

today mao mao was put to sleep at the vet.

it's really q sad since he's only abt a year old. it's really shocking bcos he juz became critically ill suddenly. last thursday he was still running ard on his wheel and on fri he had this huge lump at his neck w fluid inside.

and then slowly he couldn't even swallow the mixture tt was actually grinded food solution from the vet. 1 vet said it was kidney failure, the other said it was cancer. his muscular body became skeletal, i could feel his little bones whilst forcing him to drink the mixture. his clear big bright eyes were replaced by a beady left eye (he couldn't close it cos his left cheek was so swollen) and his right eye had sticky liquid preventing him from opening it.

he was really getting so weak he couldn't even eat so we decided to put him down. very sad cos the vet injected him in the heart cos hamsters r too small to find the veins. i hope he was gone quickly n not feel more pain than he alr was in.

despite being with us for only a semester, mao mao has left a deep imprint in our hearts. i tot i wasn't very sad but looking at photos of the healthy, mild mannered mao mao w huge pink nose makes big drops of tears fall. i hope he's doing fine now in hamster heaven.

thank you mao mao for bringing much joy into our lives :) love lots.

i miss ur little kicks and freezing actions that r uniquely you.