Case file:
Name: Cotton
Breed: White Face Roboski
Gender: Male
Brought on: May 2008
Died on: 19th November 2009
Attribute: Hyperactive

My precious and beloved hamster aka Cotton just passed away on 19th November 2009. He was found lying stiff and motionless at his usual sleeping place. However, at a closer look, he was infested with red ants. I had goosebumps even till now when I recall that sight I saw yesterday. The next thing I did was to take out the insecticide and sprayed on him. I know that is really cruel but its the only best way to stop the meat biting ants from disintegrating him further. All the horrible red ants died, there lies my pitiful Cotton with his eyes half opened and I could clearly see that his eyes are moist. It sure was a painful death for him. I wanted to cry but I shed no tear. I just sat in front of his cage, staring all my little post it that I've stick to the wall to remind me to clean up his cage, to ask my sisters to help feed him when I'm away, etc. Few minutes had passed and I finally stood up and phoned my sister informing her of Cotton's departure. After I hung up the phone, I went back to his cage and transfer his dead, ant infested body to a small container. I cleared up his cage and sterilized it with Dettol. Cotton means a lot to me and I'm not going to throw his dead body down the rubbish chute; I'm going to bury it!

For the rest of the day, I felt so traumatized by his departure that I've lost the mood to study for my incoming economics paper the next day. The sense of guilt overwhelm me. I was 'so busy' with my coming 'A' Levels that I had actually neglected him. There were signs of 2-3 little ants crawling around his cage weeks before but I thought that it was just normal household ants and didn't really took much notice in it. However, to my horror they turned out to be meat eating red ants which eventually killed my old and weak Cotton.

Cotton is one of my longest surviving, cutest, most tamed hamster that I've had so far. Playing with him gives me joy. Even when I see him play alone by himself I still find joy. It's a pity that hamsters have short lifespan of 1-3years max. Furthermore, I do realized that hamsters also undergo balding when they are old. Their fur loses shine and they are less puffy as they were before. When they age, they lose all the vitality and agility to be as hyperactive as they are young. They also have no mood to accompany you to play anymore. All they do is just sleep the whole day and only wake up to eat.

I love you Cotton!
Thanks for giving me all the pleasant memories!

Sob sob..sniff sniff