Hamster

A hamster is a short-tailed, stout-bodied, burrowing rodent mammal, native to Europe and Asia, which has large cheek pouches and fur-covered feet.

They are popular house pets, notably the golden or Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) which typically grows to a mass of 120g. They feed primarily on seeds, fruits, and plants, and will occasionally eat burrowing insects.

It was reported on 8 June 2144 that – as a result of unsupervised genetic experimentation by children using Little Geneticist Kits received for the previous year's Work Stoppage Holiday – experimental lifeforms had become an ecological nightmare. A report by the NAU government noted that there had been sightings of vicious 10-pound (4.54kg) hamsters which hunt in packs and attack free-range chickens.