My dead hamster loved to travel

He was her best spud, err, bud.
After spending about $4,500 scattering his ashes in Hawaii last year, a heartbroken pet owner is taking the last of her late hamster on a priceless holiday vacay.
Lisa Murray-Lang, 47, said her Syrian hamster, Spud, loved “visiting” London, Paris and Amsterdam by way of dollhouse-like cardboard cutouts.
That way, she explained, Spud could experience European cities without leaving his residence in Birmingham, England.
But now Murray-Lang is determined to show Spud the world — or at least continental Europe — for real this time.
His owner, a graphic designer, created the elaborate structures to culture her furry friend. Lisa Murray-Lang / SWNS
Now that Spud has died, Lisa Murray-Lang wants to take his ashes around the world to places he “visited.” Lisa Murray-Lang / SWNS.COM
“The idea is that we’re tracing his ‘paw-steps’ and actually going to the places that he ‘visited’ during his lifetime,” Murray-Lang, a graphic designer, told South West News Service.
She traveled 7,000 miles to Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki, in March 2022 to scatter some of Spud’s remains.
Murray-Lang and Spud’s remaining ashes will be hitting Paris in September, followed by London in November.
“Then, the most important one is we’re going to Amsterdam — or Hamsterdam — in December, which will be lovely as that set I made for him was always a favorite,” she added.
The monthslong trip isn’t just to honor Spud, it also coincides with Murray-Lang’s 10th wedding anniversary, which she says is a “really special way to celebrate that, and Spud.”
Murray-Lang spread Spud’s ashes in Hawaii in March 2022, but kept a pinch of them as a keepsake. Lisa Murray-Lang / SWNS
Murray-Lang said she plans to go to Paris, London and Amsterdam this year. Lisa Murray-Lang / SWNS.COM
Because the final leg is the same time as her wedding anniversary, she said it’s almost like a “gift” from her late hamster. Lisa Murray-Lang / SWNS
“It’s a lovely way to keep celebrating his life, and a lot of it is actually being funded by the sales of my book about him,” she said. “So in a way it’s like an anniversary gift from Spud.”
Her journey was inspired by her picture book “A Year in Lockdown #BeLikeSpud,” which has motivated young readers to take photos with the publication around the world and even read it to their own hamsters.
“I know one young boy is taking his copy to Portugal on a holiday, too, this year, so it’s like Spud is still traveling,” she added.
“It’s been amazing to celebrate his life this last year with all of these trips,” she said of Spud. Lisa Murray-Lang / SWNS
Despite her loss, Murray-Lang has enjoyed commemorating Spud’s life.
“It’s been amazing to celebrate his life this last year with all of these trips,” she said. “I’m not sure what I’ll do next — but there are still places he ‘visited’ that I’d love to see.”