Would you replace a "small" pet without your child knowing?

Okay ladies so here's the story. My daughter is 5 years old. She has many small pets of her own including turtles, fish, rabbits, and a hamster. This weekend her hamster who she's had for almost a year passed away. She loves that hamster and plays with her often. It's in her bedroom and she gives her a treat almost every day and feeds her every night at bed time. So on Sunday I had her get in the bathtub and left the kids with my husband and ran up the road to the little shop where I bought the hamster where they all look absolutely identical and I replaced her hamster. I hurried home and told my daughter it was time to clean the hamster cage and we scrubbed it out and put the new hammy in. She did not notice. She has absolutely no idea. I was so scared to tell her that she would cry her eyeballs out and be upset for days (like she was when one of her goldfish died.) So anyways my husband thinks I'm a horrible person and told me to never do something like that again. My dad also said he thinks I should have told her. While me and my mom both think that what I did was acceptable and appropriate as it is a small animal not a dog or cat. So my question is, was I wrong? Would you replace a small pet without your child knowing? Or would you tell them and allow grieving before buying another pet?