Master Rascal

Now that you’ve read the title, you probably have a million different ideas on what in the world this blog could possibly be about. Well wonder no longer, because I’m going to tell you: my hamster. His name is Hollywood, but he’s nicknamed Master Rascal, for more than one reason. After I tell you a bit about the evolution of his name, I’ll tell you a bit about him and then hamsters in general.

When I first got him (on my birthday), I had no idea what to name him. (I’d been begging my mom for another hamster after the first one, but I didn’t think she’d cave any time soon.) The first name that popped into my head was “Hollywood”, and since I thought that was cute, I decided to name him that. Shortly after getting Hollywood, my family and I watched the movie Bob the Butler. I won’t give you a whole summary of the movie, but the main character (Bob) had a hamster named Rascal, whom he called “Master Rascal” (you’ll have to watch the movie to understand). All kidding aside, Hollywood looks exactly like that hamster. It’s unnerving. So then everybody in my family started calling him that, and I just jumped on the bandwagon. Thus, his name is Hollywood…a.k.a. Master Rascal.

Master Rascal has proved to be rather smart (for a hamster). I was young when I had my first hamster, but I don’t remember him being anything like Hollywood is. While my other hamster seemed content to run in his wheel, eat his food, and sleep, Master Rascal (emphasis on Rascal) has figured out a plethora of escape routes from his cage. Actually prying his cage’s door open being one of the many ways, Hollywood has practically given me a heart attack on several occasions (did I mention we have a dog?). When I first bought his new cage, I thought it was so cute — but now the little pieces of packing tape everywhere kind of take away from the cute factor.

Hamsters are fuzzy little nocturnal rodents, and they’re probably the most domestic and popular pet rodent. Some people think of them as good for young kids, as kind of a “life experience”; but the truth is that it takes responsibility and maturity to take care of a hamster well. They’re a living creature, and they rely solely on you for their food, their water, and a clean environment in which to live. You should give them fresh food daily, and I recommend changing their water at least every few days. As far as cleaning their cages, it all depends on the cage and the hamster, but usually once a week is a good routine to establish. While they’re a lot of work, having a hamster also has a lot of benefits. I actually do think that they’re a good “life experience” (when you’re ready to handle a pet), and watching them can be quite entertaining. That’s the difference between stuffed animals and real ones: stuffed animals “do” exactly what you want them to do, whenever you want it; but real animals can choose whether to cooperate or not, and they can actually surprise you. Whether you’re tired, happy, angry, or upset, sometimes all you need is a fuzzy friend — who doesn’t talk or roll his eyes or judge you — to make you smile.

-Andrea