Last weekend I went to a garage sale down the street from my house and while I was browsing, a young cat rubbed against my leg and I began to pet it. There was an older man sitting on the porch and we exchanged the following dialogue:
ME: "Is this your cat? He's really cute."
OLD MAN: "Well, I guess he is now."
ME: "You guess?"
OLD MAN: "Well, I just moved in and the lady who used to live here moved and left all her animals behind. I've got two cats, three dogs, and a whole bunch of hamsters."
ME: "She left ALL her animals behind?! I don't understand how someone could do such a thing."
OLD MAN: "Yea, she even left a snake behind!"
He could tell I was intrigued and invited me in to see it. The snake was twitching and peeling in a million pieces (when a snake is healthy, it will shead in one piece) but he wouldn't let me take it.
The hamsters, however, I could take along with their cages. I went to see them and there were at least 5 cages with hamsters in them, one caught my eye that had no water (and it was hot!). He told me that one of them was a black bear hamster that the lady had paid $20 for.
I took the black bear and went home but couldn't stop thinking about all the others. This old man had no clue how to take care of hamsters and I had no idea if the others had food or water or when their bedding had last been changed. I told a few friends that I wanted to go back and get them so they could have a good home but they told me I was crazy...turning into one of those crazy old animal ladies and I "couldn't save them all".
Well, they were right...I couldn't save them all.
I went to pick them up today after work and when I was taking the hamsters out of their pee-soaked bedding, I found dead hamsters, half eaten by their cagemates who hadn't had food in god knows how long. I have no idea how long it had been since they were tended to, but the remaining 8 are now in clean, fresh cages with plenty of food and water.
I am not crazy.
ME: "Is this your cat? He's really cute."
OLD MAN: "Well, I guess he is now."
ME: "You guess?"
OLD MAN: "Well, I just moved in and the lady who used to live here moved and left all her animals behind. I've got two cats, three dogs, and a whole bunch of hamsters."
ME: "She left ALL her animals behind?! I don't understand how someone could do such a thing."
OLD MAN: "Yea, she even left a snake behind!"
He could tell I was intrigued and invited me in to see it. The snake was twitching and peeling in a million pieces (when a snake is healthy, it will shead in one piece) but he wouldn't let me take it.
The hamsters, however, I could take along with their cages. I went to see them and there were at least 5 cages with hamsters in them, one caught my eye that had no water (and it was hot!). He told me that one of them was a black bear hamster that the lady had paid $20 for.
I took the black bear and went home but couldn't stop thinking about all the others. This old man had no clue how to take care of hamsters and I had no idea if the others had food or water or when their bedding had last been changed. I told a few friends that I wanted to go back and get them so they could have a good home but they told me I was crazy...turning into one of those crazy old animal ladies and I "couldn't save them all".
Well, they were right...I couldn't save them all.
I went to pick them up today after work and when I was taking the hamsters out of their pee-soaked bedding, I found dead hamsters, half eaten by their cagemates who hadn't had food in god knows how long. I have no idea how long it had been since they were tended to, but the remaining 8 are now in clean, fresh cages with plenty of food and water.
I am not crazy.
VIEW 23 of 23 COMMENTS
They are so adorable!
Q: do you know anyone in N.Y city that could possible show me around. I'm going to visiting N.Y in July and I dont know anyone there, or do you know of any cool places to visit while i am there.
thanks:
Andrea