Rest in peace, Adzuki.

We adopted Adzuki from the shelter two years ago. He was just a baby then, a tiny hamster nestled in a cage with his two big brothers. We brought him home and named him after a dumpling.

In his youth, Adzuki's energy was boundless. He ran tirelessly and climbed any vertical surface he could get his paws on. Once I was surprised to find him 5+ feet from the floor -- he had climbed up a garment hanging in the closet. (He never thought about how to get down from such a height. We were always there to help him!) He'd zip around his cage and run in his wheel all night. John designed and built a "ham-o-meter," which used magnets and a microprocessor to measure how much distance Adzuki covered in one night. The answer: 6 miles!

Adzuki looked forward to playing with us every night. We'd often find him standing on top of his house, waiting to be let out, or doing a little "hamster dance" to show us how excited he was to see us. We placed tunnels all over our bedroom, then hid treats in them. Adzuki would scurry around excitedly, finding treats, racing up and down the tunnels, and shredding his cardboard toys.

Adzuki was robust and never sickly, but as old age set in, we noticed him becoming more frail. We decided to take him with us on vacation, where we played with him in the hotel room. It would be one of his last days of good health. One week later, today, he passed away from natural causes. He was a sweet boy and a special friend.