Sweet and sad. A sick hamster named Robin Williams may not have long to live, but his family is making sure that he makes the most of the time he has left, and they’ve created a bucket list for the little guy.
The 2-year-old longhaired Syrian hamster has a large abdominal tumor that would be too risky to remove, so his owner, Arden Kirby, has decided to take Robin, who shares his Chicago home with two bunnies, on a series of adventures while he is healthy enough to enjoy them.
“He’s not in any pain and his quality of life is excellent,” Kirby wrote in an Instagram post on Friday, March 25. “At this point we know he could live for another year, month, week, or day … I really do hope we get at least another year with him.”
So far, items crossed off Robin’s bucket list include going to Petsmart and eating a lot of junk food, crossing the Chicago river at sunset, being a star for the day, and taking a selfie at the Art Institute.
Some of the other goals include eating a Chicago hot dog and taking a selfie at the Bean.
While some have voiced concerns about Kirby taking Robin on these adventures, she tells Us Weekly that his well-being is her primary concern: “We won’t have him outside for more than five minutes, and for the most part we just take him on little drives and snap a quick picture.”
Kirby tells Us that if the tumor is removed it would diminish Robin’s quality of life. “He is still acting completely normal, going to the bathroom and also eating and drinking and is on medication,” she adds.
In a response to critics who worry that she is putting Robin through too much, Kirby revealed in an Instagram post on Tuesday, March 29, that she has decided to continue Robin’s bucket list at home.
“We will still be doing great stuff with him but won’t be taking him out,” she wrote. “I just want to let everyone know that we would not be taking him out if he was scared or uncomfortable. We are sorry if anyone feels as if we are not taking Robin’s best interests in mind/are selfish. It’s already a hard time for us and reading hateful comments is too hard while we’re taking care of our sick baby.”
“Robin is our world,” Kirby tells Us. “Even though some of the things may not be ‘hamster things,’ this is our way of getting to say goodbye to him and bringing him where other hamsters may never get to go.”
Kirby adds that there are also lots of “hamster things” on Robin’s bucket list list — “all related to eating food.”
