Gustov’s Story

Gustov was a Russian dwarf hamster. I did not name him that, but it suited him.

My (former I guess) friend and roommate Beth had decided she wanted a dwarf hamster. She picked up Gustov and brought him home. He was sweet and adorable from the beginning, but he was not mine so I didn’t pay too much attention.
Then later Beth tells me he’s escaped. She was very sad, and set up little traps in an effort to catch him. This went on for days until she finally gave up, but still wanting a hamster she went and bought a new one. A white female this time and named her Valentine.

A day or two after this Gustov apparently discovering that the outside world sucks returned to Beth by way of walking across her feet while she was on the computer. He allowed himself to be caught but it was instantly apparent that Gustov liked Valentine about as much as I did and so Valentine getting a roommate was out of the question.

So, Beth asks me if I want a hamster, since my cat had gone away by this time I think, and I had sworn off pets, I was hesitant, but they don’t live so very long and it wasn’t like I was imprisoning him, he came back of his own accord.

And so I had a hamster. He ended up being one of the best little pets imaginable. He never once bit me hard enough to hurt though he did startle the shit out of me a couple times. He was defensive but not offensive. This means he didn’t like me reaching in and touching him but if you let him climb into a cup and then took the cup out he was more than happy to be held and explore, and he would rarely poop and never pee on you. He was extremely brave in that he would peer over any edge and hang by just his back legs.

He quickly gave up on his wheel after discovering it went no where and started to plump up, which was adorable, I mean its funny to think about something that weighs like an ounce as obese. But he totally was.

I tried making ghetto habitrail for him out of clear piping and PVC elbows but he would have none of it. He used it once as if to prove to me he could and that he knew it was there and then completely ignored it. So I took it out.

I got him a bigger wheel to accommodate his “bulk” but he ignored it with equal vigor after a brief recon, and the occasional patrol.

He also hated his hamster ball, I would set him on the floor he would roll around for about 20 seconds and then b-line straight for my feet and sit there. So I figured what the hell and gave up, no one makes me exercise, nor should they, so why should I insist he be fit, I mean what, is he going for the gold in the hamsterlympics? No.

Whenever I pestered him I made it a point to give him a pumpkin seed, which he would stand up and take with his little hands, and then bite. I should have filmed this but my camera is such garbage.

I did get some pictures of him with my phone and the like, I’ll post them here when I find them.
My friend Gustov died on 8-25-08.

I’m not exactly sure when but I know he was dead or dying when I went to sleep because I looked at him and it seemed like he wasn’t breathing, but he slept really sound and I figured if he is dead, there’s nothing I can do about it but if he’s not I can let him sleep. I consider sleep to be sacred and avoid waking anything up that sleeps if it can be helped.

I checked on him and he was in the same position, so I tapped on the glass,I knew then he was dead, but you know, hope and stuff. Nothing, and then I picked up his house, nothing, still hope, and then, I touched him and he was cold. I’ve been crying ever since.

From the pictures you can tell he died in his sleep. I had just the day before changed his floof refreshed his water, and played with him and fixed his wheel, making it lower so his chubby self could get to it easier, and even gave him some frozen broccoli which he loved and ate about half of.

I was just talking about how in hamster years he’s like 200 but I wish he had made it to 300.

I buried him in a camera case with bedding and his salt disc which again you can see he inexplicably slept on. Since his floof was recently changed it was easy to spatula him into the case without disturbing his position, and his house was able to go with him. I don’t feel bad about him being in the dark because he only came out at night and he liked the dark. Plus he has his house, the one he preferred since as you can see he had two.

I dumped the remainder of his food over where I buried him and watered those seeds with the remainder of his water. Later I will ring the site with bricks so I don’t step and crush him. His place will mark not just his own passing but the passing of pets in general from my life. Gustov was the best case scenario and I won’t fuck it up by being greedy.

I’m going to miss hearing his little crunching and scuffle-digging and the tink of seeds against the glass as he kicked the shitty ones out of the way. Most of all I’ll miss him looking at me through the glass and standing up and staring at me when I said “Hi Gustov,” at which point I’d set the cup in with him and he’d climb right in knowing it was time to go outside and explore sleeve and dresser world.

Video of him.

Gustov will be the last non engineered life I purposely own. The Buddhists and peta have it right in one way. Avoid attachment, don’t own life. I know I was a good owner, I know he was healthy and well fed and happy as humanly possible, but he still died on my watch and it was my responsibility, even if not my fault.

Never again.

More images will come later.