I Got a Hamster. I Didn't Expect to Love Him This Much.
I never thought I'd have a pet hamster. Then I met Momo—and discovered how quickly a tiny, ridiculous creature can take over your heart and give you anxiety.
October 2026 · Personal · Momo
I never thought I’d have a pet hamster.
It wasn’t something I had planned, or even something I had considered seriously. But then I met my friend’s hamster, Kuku. I spent some time playing with him, watching him do his little hamster things, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with these tiny creatures.
They’re so small and delicate, yet somehow manage to become these little balls of stress relief. There’s something about watching a hamster exist in his own tiny world that makes your own problems feel a little less significant.
And that’s how Momo came into my life.
Bringing Momo home
On 26 September, I brought Momo home in his little pink carrier. He was tiny, a little confused, and probably wondering what the hell was happening to him.
The car ride had stressed him out, so I decided not to disturb him much. I let him sleep and gave him some time to settle down.
I then built him an enclosure using an IKEA storage bin. For bedding, I used shredded tissue paper, added some cardboard that he could turn into tunnels, and placed his old carrier inside the bin. The idea was to give him more room to explore without taking away the one place that was still familiar to him.
It wasn’t his final home. Just a starting point.
I had so much to learn, and I still do.
The day I thought I was going to lose him
A couple of days ago, I came back from college and noticed that Momo’s fur looked strange. Something seemed off. He looked sick, and I immediately started panicking.
I didn’t want to take any chances, so I rushed him to a vet who treats exotic pets in Sector 72, Noida. I suspected he might have wet tail because he looked wet and unwell.
Looking back, I was scared and probably jumped to conclusions. But when you have a tiny animal who can’t tell you what’s wrong, even the smallest change can feel terrifying.
The consultation didn’t give me much reassurance. The vet didn’t physically examine Momo, and medication was prescribed based on my suspicion. I later became concerned that the medication wasn’t appropriate for a hamster.
Then I figured out what had actually happened.
His water bottle had leaked onto some tissue paper, and Momo had apparently slept on the wet tissue. His fur had become soaked. What I had interpreted as a serious illness might have been him simply getting wet and cold.
I moved him somewhere dry and kept a close eye on him. I didn’t give him the prescribed medicine.
And slowly, I started seeing my little guy act like himself again.
He was eating. He was running on his wheel. He was playing.
I can’t describe how relieved I felt watching him run around again. I was so happy that he seemed okay, and at the same time, I was genuinely annoyed at him for sleeping on wet tissue when he had an entire enclosure to choose from.
Why would you do that, Momo? You have a whole house.
I felt like an angry mom whose son had just recovered from doing something incredibly stupid. One minute I was worrying about him, and the next I was watching him run around, wondering how this tiny creature had managed to give me so much anxiety in such a short time.
I’m glad he’s doing better. I also know that if something like this happens again, I need to get him properly examined by a qualified exotic-animal vet rather than assume I know what’s wrong.
Having a pet is a lot more responsibility than I had imagined.
Learning to be Momo’s human
Since bringing him home, I’ve found myself learning something new about him almost every day.
I’m figuring out where he likes to pee, what food he prefers, what makes him nervous, and which corners of his enclosure he likes best. I’m researching his nutrition, ordering supplies, looking for new hideouts, and finding ways to keep him entertained.
I’m also saving up to build him a bigger, more enriched enclosure. I want him to have enough space to burrow, explore, dig, hide, and do all the things a hamster should be able to do.
I even designed and built him a big, smooth, 25 cm 3D-printed wheel. Hamsters run surprisingly long distances, and I wanted Momo to have a wheel that lets him run comfortably without having to bend his back unnaturally.
It’s funny how quickly the little things start mattering.
I find myself thinking about whether he has enough bedding, whether his food has the right nutritional balance, whether his enclosure has enough enrichment, and whether there’s something else I could do to make his life better.
I gave him a proper sand bath so he could clean his coat and groom naturally:
And to make sure he never gets drenched from a leaking water bottle again, I tested both a secure bottle and a shallow ceramic dish:
I’m learning that taking care of a hamster isn’t just about feeding him and giving him a cage. It’s about understanding a tiny animal whose needs are very different from ours.
And I’m trying my best.
Midnight adventures
One of my favourite things about having Momo is watching him at night.
Hamsters have their own schedules, and Momo seems to have decided that midnight is an excellent time to start his adventures. While most of the world is asleep, he’s running on his wheel, exploring his enclosure, stuffing food into his cheeks, and doing whatever mysterious things hamsters do when nobody is watching.
Sometimes I record his cute little moments. Sometimes I even livestream him on YouTube.
Momo's Socials & Live Feeds
Live nocturnal adventures & daily updates
I could sit there watching him for ages.
I’ve also started feeding him from my hand to help him become more comfortable around me. Since hamsters have relatively poor eyesight, sudden movements can startle them, so I’m trying to be patient and let him get familiar with me through my scent and voice.
I’ve even placed a small piece of tissue carrying my scent in his enclosure so he can get used to it.
I don’t expect him to suddenly become a cuddly little animal who wants to hang out with me all day. I just want him to feel safe around me.
If he learns that my hands bring food, that my presence doesn’t mean danger, and that he can trust me enough to go about his little life without constantly being scared, I’ll consider that a win.
Trust takes time. Especially when you’re a tiny prey animal living in a world that must seem enormous.
He’s just a baby
Sometimes I look at Momo and remember how small he actually is.
He’s just a baby, still getting used to his home, and I’m still learning how to be responsible for him. I know I’ll make mistakes along the way, but I want to keep learning and make sure those mistakes don’t come at the cost of his well-being.
I want to give him a bigger enclosure. More enrichment. Better ways to explore. More things to chew, dig through, and hide inside. I want to keep improving his diet and understanding his behaviour.
Most importantly, I want him to live a healthy, comfortable, and happy life.
I didn’t expect a hamster to become such a meaningful part of my life. I certainly didn’t expect to spend my nights researching hamster care, designing wheels, looking at enclosure ideas, and worrying about whether a tiny ball of fur was feeling okay.
But here we are.
Momo has only been home since 26 September, and already, my days have a new little source of happiness in them.
I’m very glad to have him in my life.
Here’s to more midnight wheel sessions, tiny adventures, cardboard tunnels, treats from my hand, and many more moments of watching him be his ridiculous little self.
I hope the journey ahead is a good one.
And I hope that, in my care, Momo gets to live a long, healthy, and happy little hamster life.
Welcome home, Momo. 💙
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