Until his passing five months ago, I had a hamster named Gomez Houdini. His surname came from his determination in escaping from cardboard boxes, through dutifully chewed-out holes. (That’s what the famous magician did, right? Chewed his way out?)
He even did this on the train ride home, as you can see:
For most of his life, Gomez smelled like spoiled grape juice. He had some kind of funky glandular musk that persisted through extensive habitat cleanings, various safe bathing methods, and naturally deodorizing bedding from numerous different trusted brands. In time I came to accept that he was just a pungent little guy, much like myself. It was his special odor. Frankly, I miss it.
Gomez loved to roll around in the ball, and had a finicky diet that was indicative of his designation of “Fancy”. He pooh-poohed treats and munchies that Podhamsters who’d preceded him went cuckoo for. He loved sweet corn, sweet peas, and riding on my left shoulder.
Gomez was notoriously difficult to get decent photos of, because of his luscious blackness. When he was young, he had a lightning-streak on his forehead, which was only visible on camera under certain luminosity.
About a month after Gomez crossed the proverbial rainbow bridge (the Valhalla for pets, not any pride-painted parkway you might imagine), my roommate’s 17-year-old girl-kitty joined him, so as you can guess 2024 got off to a rocky start. Not only did my poverty hit a new low point, it seemed as though everyone around me was suffering the same fate, and had been for longer than I’d realized. I lost all desire to catalog my daily existence, whether in the form of an Instagram post, a blog article, or a cartoon.
See, two months before he died, Gomez was in his favorite spot on my left shoulder as I showed my roommate my new work jacket. For whatever reason, Gomez slid off and tumbled to the hardwood floor. He injured his back, causing him to drag his hind legs (though they still functioned) for his final weeks, and I have yet to be able to forgive myself.
I also haven’t really talked about it before, so now you know why. Gomez was a great and fancy hamster and we had some great times together. He was a funny little stinker. The girl-kitty never liked him, but she accepted him as part of the family, and I like to think the two of them are getting to know each other better in the Great Beyond. Gomez brightened her existence when she was in a lot of pain. He climbed on her once. She grimly tolerated it.
Currently I am making efforts to welcome a new Podhamster, and to cycle out some of the old habitat parts that are starting to crack and crumble after 20 years of on-off occupation. Come what may, I will never forget Mr. Gomez Houdini, a zesty, loving, ebullient critter, and truly one of the Great Hamsters I Have Known.
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