this post was submitted on 17 May 2026
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I (and my siblings) had a total of 6 hamsters. 4 died of old age, 1 suddenly bled out overnight, and 1 died pretty young, but nothing was obviously wrong, so I dunno.
My neighbors had more than a dozen rodents (including 5 guinea pigs). They all died horrifically, including 4 that were killed by mouse traps. Because of course you should have mouse traps, and also keep small rodents that you allow to escape constantly. As an adult, I think the parents were seriously negligent in teaching their children, and then also negligent in buying more rodents for the grinder after the first two or three met horrible fates.
We've got two guinea pigs, and in my opinion, they aren't that hard to keep alive.
My daughter's guinea pig just died, but he was an older fellow. He went with her to college and got her all the way through to a few months past graduation.
As George Carlin said, "You're supposed to know it in the pet shop. It's going to end badly. You're purchasing a small tragedy."
https://youtu.be/ktp-Zsm25dU?t=140s
grief is the debt we take on by loving something
there will always be a tragedy at the end
First rule of rodent fight club is you don't talk about rodent fight club.