Hammy Wishes You a Merry Christmas

Two years ago in December, living in a cozy (okay, tiny) apartment in Hong Kong, with work and hobbies starting to feel a bit... same ole, I decided we needed to make a change.

When a spouse drops the “we need a change” bomb, it's often a tipping point to disaster.

My wife's eyes widened when I told her what I was feeling.

“What do you mean... exactly?” my wife asked doubtfully. A flash of anger in her eyes showed she was preparing for her husband to propose something ridiculous like: a divorce, or a threesome, or even worse, perhaps something like living on a houseboat.

“I mean...what about a pet?”

“Oh!” Relief washed over her face, followed by a subtle eye-roll. “A pet.”

"A pet!"

“It's an idea, we could look into it.” It was definitely my idea, but a small ask compared to all those other things that might have been on her mind.

We dove into pet research, weighing the upsides and downsides of each:

• Dogs: possibly (certainly) the best friend pet, but say goodbye to spontaneous vacations for the next 10+ years, and hello to 10pm dog walks in the rain.
• Cats: Little (but some) affection, but balanced by exceedingly low requirements for pet maintenance. A bowl of food a day, and an occasional clean out of the litter box with the pooper scooper. Sadly, I'm allergic to cats.
• Snakes or lizards: Nope. You gotta be born cold-blooded to enjoy these pets.
• Fish: Super low maintenance, but zero cuddles.
• Exotic Pets: Things best kept by a small zoo, like pot-belly pigs or small monkeys. Don't go there.

That leaves the rodent family, which the pet industry has adorned with the most likeable label, 'Small Pets'.

The city we live in, Hong Kong, has a small pet chain named Little Boss:

As a 56-year-old man, I was hesitant to enter a Small Pet store. Spying on it from across the street, I saw it filled with 5-year-old children with parents, and teen girls squealing "cute!" and enjoying the free entertainment.

I mustered my courage. Be strong! I told myself.

Strolling into this haven of tiny cute critters, I was immediately engulfed by the farmy stench of Timothy Hay and the chaos of little children shoving me out of the way to get to the little pets they fancied

Overwhelmed in seconds, I retreated out the exit. From the safety of street side, I took a quick inventory of the animals on sale, then escaped to the sanity of online pet forums.

The Small Pet contenders were:

Guinea Pigs: The 'manliest' of Small Pets, they look like little capybaras, and come in an adorable mix of colors. Huggable. And they make various cute squeaky noises.

Downside: A friend who owned Guinea Pigs mentioned they need to live in pairs, and chirp and warble for attention so insistently that television watching becomes impossible.

Chinchillas: Cute, quiet, adorable loners.

Downside: Such delicate creatures that animal protection websites say Chinchillas can drop-dead from a slight breeze.

Rabbits: Extremely cute and supremely huggable.

Downside: Poop factories, which make their cages (and your apartment) smell like a barnyard.

Gerbils. Childhood flashback of endless poops filling my hands every time I picked up my gerbils in my childhood. And my wife says no to pet rodents with tails (sorry, mice and fancy rats).

Hamsters. A pet for little children. For kindergarten classrooms. Not for adults.

I scanned pet information websites looking for dealbreakers to cross hamsters off the list.

They can live by themselves, silent, odor-free, are not demanding in any way. The most popular small pet, with the largest range of food, accessories. Almost zero cons. Maybe there's a reason why popular pets are popular.

My wife broke the stalemate: “Let's just have a look at the hamsters."

The next day, we walked out with Hammy.

A Very Hammy Christmas Tradition

Adopted in the holiday season, Hammy instantly became our festive mascot.

As we don't have children, our apartment has become decorated more for him than for us.

Crafting YouTube videos for Hammy has become a holiday tradition. Watch our little guy pop out of his box.

Another video from Christmas 2024.

Hammy's Rampage:

Christmas 2025

This Christmas, Hammy has proved that sometimes the tiniest change can bring the greatest joy. 🐹🎄