Hamster spends final days enjoying exciting adventures off his bucket list
Since Robin the hamster's owners learned of their pet's tumor, they've made sure he's living his final days to the fullest.
Rather than keeping Robin -- named after actor, Robin Williams -- inside and watching him get sick, his family wanted to give him an adventure he'd never forget. Robin's parents are being very supportive as he sets off to complete his very own hamster bucket list.
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Mashable chatted with the hamster's owner, Arden, via email to learn more about his condition and inspirational journey.
"I went in the pet store there were two male teddy bear hamsters in the same cage," Arden said about when getting Robin in 2014. "One of them was really active and ran around and then there was Robin. He had the sweetest face and I fell in love instantly."
Last Monday, Arden noticed Robin's abdomen felt very tense, "almost like he had a blockage or he was bloated," she said. "We called our vet the very next day and went in as soon as possible. The vet started feeling around and told us that it was really concerning."
An X-ray showed a very large tumor taking up most of Robin's abdomen.
Rather than surrounding Robin with sorrow, Arden came up with a 'bucket list' of fun hamster activities for him to complete before he meets his end.
So far, Robin has had a PetSmart shopping spree, eaten a ton of 'junk food', had a movie marathon in a blanket fort, taken a goofy selfie with his best friend and visited The Art Institute of Chicago.
Next up on the bucket list? A trip to "The Bean."
Though Robin's family talked about a potential removal surgery, because the tumor takes up so much of Robin's blood supply removing it could potentially end his life.
"We decided against helping him pass because his quality of life is still really great...he's still running on his wheel, eating and drinking," Arden explained.
Arden wants to note that Robin's Bucket List activities are not causing him any extra stress.
"We take a car to most places and aren't there for a long time," she said. "We make sure the weather is nice and he has never flinched [or] jumped. Robin's heart rate has never changed."
You can keep up-to-date with Robin's bucket list items by following their Instagram page.
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Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
