Love doesn't care about the size of your pet, or how long you've owned, or cared for them, love just is.
Hamsters are cute, adorable, and liven up your home in the evenings. I read somewhere that regardless of size, pets offer non-judgemental companionship.
Some people thinks it's only a pet that have died, even when the pet was a huge horse weighing almost the same as a small car. However, I don't think it's always a matter of ignorance, or lack of empathy, I think it sometimes is a matter about people not knowing how to handle grief. So they try to brush it under the carpet, or minimize it, by saying things like "Oh, but they're so small"/"But it's just a pet"/...
But you're not alone
@IrishMilo , there is those who understand how much it can hurt to lose a small pet. {{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}