Well, young Nathan Jr. is now an ex-hamster. He had a long run, as hamsters go. January 2000 to April 2003 is awefully good for a rodent of not-so-unusual size. He’d been hibernating on and off all winter, was loving the great weather we had a few weeks ago, but this cold snap just hit him a little too hard, I think. May you enjoy that great big hamster ball in the sky.
*Note: No, Nathan Jr. didn’t live outside, nor was it bitter cold inside, but I think he just got a little too sensitive to small temperature differences.
Nathan Jr.'s successor, Miles, has now taken residence in the hamster complex, and seems to really enjoy it. He’s much smaller (he’s a Siberian), and this is his first experience with tubes and a wheel - he’s fallen down the tubes a couple of times, but he’s getting his footing. I expect him to bulk up a bit due to his living in the lap of hamster luxury, but it’ll take a while. He much friendlier than Nathan was when he first came home, so I think I may be able to take him out a lot more.
Just look at it this way, you gave him a good life. I’m sure he was thankful. After all, it could have been Richard Gere that walked into that pet store that day, but instead it was you. You saved him from certain, wiggly death in a dark and smelly place. You should be proud.