Scamp

Scamp was my pet hamster, and he passed away a week ago. Now I know it's a little silly to be so upset over a hamster, especially cause they're only expected to live 1.5-2 years, but it was so sad to lose my little buddy. Plus he was our first pet! So I want to capture some of my memories about Scamp here.

 Scamp was a surprise Christmas present from Clark for our first Christmas. I had no idea Clark would get him for me - I had been begging Clark for a pet for months, but he has a way of explaining why that wouldn't make sense, and I'd give up on asking. But come Christmas I opened up a huge gift bag with this little guy running around inside:

I wish I could find the video they took... it was pretty embarrassing, but I was so excited! Scamp was a Russian dwarf hamster, and he was so active! This little daredevil guy loved to climb all over everything. He would even climb up the bars of his cage and hang on the top like he was on the monkey bars. And he LOVED running around on the wheel in his cage. When Clark had to leave for interviews in New York, or when he had to leave me behind for two weeks at the start of his internship, Scamp was my little buddy. It was comforting to have some sort of companion, even if he was just a furry ball of energy :)

It was a small blessing, but I was able to hold Scamp for several hours before he died. Now he was usually so active that I would usually just have to let him climb all over, and wouldn't get to just hold him and look at him. But I got to hold him for 5 hours the night he passed away, and I was actually holding him when he took his last breath. It was really hard to let him go. Clark and I went up to one of my favorite areas on campus (by all the trails south of campus) and buried him. Clark was a sweetheart and hid Scamp's cage and stuff as soon as we got back so I wouldn't be reminded about Scamp being gone.

^This was taken a couple hours before he died^

^Clark had to make a mosaic for his class, so he made one of Scamp for me!^ 

^Sweet little Scamp^ 

^saying goodbye^

^Scamp's little grave^ 

I love you Scamp. You were a great pet. I miss you.