One of our Roborovski hamsters has been getting sicker over the past week. By the time I got home this evening, she was panting on her side, so weak that she was unable to stand up or even protest when I picked her up.
I decided it was time to stop the suffering and give her some peace.
So I researched the web, and found that the most humane way to euthanize a hamster is using carbon dioxide.
Where could I get carbon dioxide? From dry ice, of course.
So I Googleed dry ice sellers, and I found out a couple of blocks away. I called, and I asked for 200 grams of dry ice. The guy told me that the minimum amount they sell is 5 pounds. I agreed to pay $5 for 5 lbs of dry ice.
He heard all sorts of uses for dry ice in the past, but euthanizing a hamster was a first. He gladly sold me the dry ice.
I already had a plan. I relocated the sick hamster into the small plastic container with a meshed lid on top, and I put a block of dry ice right on top of the mesh.
As the dry ice started melting, the now gaseous carbon dioxide dripped into the container. I could see her gasping for air. It was hard to watch, but I have seen children die before, so I knew I could handle this.
In less than two minutes, the hamster's gasping stopped completely. I waited for a bit longer, just to be sure. It felt serene. The cloud-like vapor enveloped the now still hamster. It was like she was in heaven.