Pets, whether big or small, can play an important role in our lives. From providing companionship to emotional support, our furry – or scaly, feathery, or finned – friends can easily be considered family.
So when a beloved pet dies, the feeling of grief and sorrow can be immense.
One Singaporean family mourning the death of their hamster decided to give the animal a solemn send-off, complete with traditional Buddhist customs and a ‘coffin’.
On 29 Sep, TikTok user @e.t.xy, aka Ethan, posted a video sharing that his pet hamster had died the day before.
Instead of simply burying the rodent in a shoebox, his father decided to hold a proper funeral.
In the 15-second clip, a small ART kit can be seen in the cage.
Buddhist funeral chants can also be heard in the background.
Source: @e.t.xy on TikTok
In the subtitle, Ethan explains that the box served as a coffin for his hamster.
Source: @e.t.xy on TikTok
He later films the source of the chanting, which is coming from a YouTube video playing on a phone on top of the cage.
Source: @e.t.xy on TikTok
At the end of the video, he inserts a photo of his hamster with the caption, “RIP Betty 2020-2022. You will be missed”.
Speaking to MS News, Ethan said that his family got Betty at the beginning of the pandemic, around August 2020.
He revealed that she even has a sister, Veronica, who is well and healthy.
However, on 28 Sep, Betty passed away.
According to Ethan, he heard the funeral chants at around 11pm that day.
He did not think much of them because he thought they were coming from the void deck below his house.
However, he found out that the chants were coming from Betty’s cage and discovered the whole setup with the ART kit coffin.
Source: @e.t.xy on TikTok
As it turns out, Ethan’s father had placed his phone on top of the cage, setting the atmosphere for the ritual.
He thought the entire incident was amusing yet heartwarming and decided to share it online.
After the funeral, his father proceeded to bury Betty at the block below his house.
Such a grand and proper funeral shows just how much Betty was loved by her humans.
While not all pet owners would think of holding such an elaborate event, it’s nice to see how Ethan’s father decided to uphold traditional customs usually meant for humans.
We hope that Betty has crossed the Rainbow Bridge safely and gets to enjoy all the sunflower seeds and treats she wants.
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Featured image adapted from @e.t.xy on TikTok.
He taught himself Malay and wrote an autobiography before his passing.
He was reportedly facing financial issues.
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He appeared at a similar block party for Hari Raya in April.
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He also donated S$3,000 to the charity that fulfilled his wish.