CSI: Kuala Lumpur - Tails of the Smelly Hamsters

I love animals. At any time in my life, I remember having pets. I have kept caterpillars, maggots, snakes, cats, fishes, tortoise, birds, rabbits, ducks etcetera etcetera… Just because I like them does not mean I am good at keeping them, though.

My beautiful green caterpillars turned into butterflies and flew away.

The maggots (I carefully collected at Dewan Makan of my school) to my horror became flies and flew away.

My mom insisted that the baby snake I found in the bathroom was actually a worm. Could be a worm from MY stomach, infact (gross). It disappeared (probably my mom was behind its disappearance).

Mimi the cat had something in her eyes. She was busy rubbing her eyes and I swear I just wanted to help. I can’t remember what I used but I poked and tried to fish the impurities out. It made Mimi blind one eye. I was about 7 (Mimi I am sorry!).

Fishes I had quite a lot. My favourite was this tilapia I caught at Sungai Langat. I had no place to put it so I made the fish a hippie aka squatter at the office’s aquarium. All the pretty fishes there died while my tilapia became the true example where ‘might is right’. He was killed by the office’s cleaner (the owner of the pretty fishes that once roamed the tank).

I had one male tortoise. When it was about the size of my palm, I decided that the poor soul needed a mate. I got him a female double his size. The male tried to climb on her but I think she was not very interested. He was perhaps too small for her. She bit his neck and broke it. He died of course. I got angry at the female so I let her loose (the loose girl!) in one lake in Kluang. That one was just bad news and nothing else.

I have a strange affinity to birds. A sick bird just flew in my window and sat on the floor. I nursed it for a few days before it flew away. One time, I was lying on the floor in my room, writing a a letter, when a bird, from nowhere just fell right into my hands. I have nursed.. maybe about 5 different types of birds. They all flew away of course when they could. I don’t believe in caging birds.

My rabbits were breeding .. like rabbits and so my mother gave them all away.

My little ducklings all hanyut during a flood. They seemed all too happy to hanyut away though.

And like that lah. The story of my life. Love pets but they all don’t fare very well under my care. Then came the hamsters.

I had a couple of hamsters not too long ago. The male was named Jantan while the girl was Zulaikha. Zulaikha was an angry female. She was always pissed off at Jantan. She was only kind to Jantan when she was, you know, in the mood. Thing was, she was SELDOM in the mood. She was always hitting at Jantan. He lost one ear because Zulaikha bit him. I should have called her Minah Tyson instead, yes? Jantan was always bleeding here and there, some days he would be limping, most days he would just hide. It was almost pathetic, the poor guy! Zulaikha was mean and angry. And she was a lousy mom too; she ate all her babies. But for some reasons, I could 'relate' to her, dont let me elaborate. I just loved my Zulaikha. She was pretty and fat and regal.

I don’t know how Jantan died. I don’t know if Zulaikha had any part in his death. Maybe it was old age, maybe it was suicide. And so he died. I did not shed a tear. Boys come boys go, sometimes they die, no big deal.

I shed lotsa tears on the day Zulaikha died. It was her weekly grooming day. As usual I bathe her in a little container. The water was about an inch high. She was a big girl. Standing, the water would be just knee-deep for her. Scrubbed her with hamster’s shampoo (and got bitten in the process by the wild-one) and then let her soak a little in the water as I clean her lair. When the bedding was ready, I turned to pick Zulaikha up, but she was under the water. You see, it was slippery in the container and she must have slipped and fell head first into the water. She was dead. No amount of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation could bring Zulaikha back. She died and it was my fault. Of course I cried. I loved her and I was guilt-ridden. I swore I would never have hamsters again!

It was a good many-many years later that I got myself a couple of hamsters again. Both girls this time. Better looking, sweeter nature. Not very me, but love them just the same.

I was careful this time. Bathed them at the sink, never in a container, never use shampoo too. They were both called Hamtaro (how original, yes?) because I could not tell one from the other. They looked so much alike, probably twins, haha.

I came home from work last week and received a whiff of foul smell the moment I opened the door (their cage was near the door, you see). I switched on the fan and the smell disappeared and so I thought nothing of it. And then Yamtuan complained of the smell too and he went to investigate. He found both Hamtaro(s) dead.

CSI by Yamtuan showed that the death was caused by extreme dehydration and starvation. Murderer was some oody fella who forgot to refill the hamster’s water and food. They must have suffered, they must have died horribly and they probably cursed and swore at me all along the way. It was negligence on my part. I was too busy the whole of last week and I forgot to check on them. I saw them about two days ago, running frantically, extra frisky and I saw that their food was finished. But I was late for work and they always had all the food hidden underneath their beddings. So I thought to myself that I would refill the container after work that day. Me being me, I forgot. And I forgot to even check the water.

It was my fault I know. Work and forgetfulness should not be an excuse. They were my responsibility and I have failed them miserably.

Hamtaro(s), I am sorry, I am. And I do sayang you two. I am sorry I am sorry.

I have punished myself too by going without food and water for a few hours. Please forgive me.

Gambar Hiasan

Love Sonnet
(for Hamtaroes)

You were small
you were not tall
no, not at all
brown was your coat
patches of white here and there
teeth like that of a goat
or maybe a mare?

Your nuts and seeds were nada (you were both females, of course)
Your water bottle was empty too
I forgot, I am such a duh
Fill them up, I was supposed to do

And so you died
A thirsty death
And so you died
A hungry death

I am sorry hamtaroes
I really am.