I’m sure we are all familiar with the small, soft, hairy being known as hamsters. However, as you stare in you multi-colored cage filled with tubes your small friend ever so loves to run through, have you ever wondered where it came from? To find this answer, we must go far across the sea to fields spanning far and wide. That’s right, we are going to Asia, and east Europe. Now, I’d like to tell a long story over generations of people becoming closer with hamsters and earning their trust, like how dogs came to be. But really, the story is as simple as a few medical researchers taking hamsters from Syria to breed them. After this, some people started taking them in as pets, and from then on they became a world wide pet loved by all. Though, you may be surprised to find out that these cute little guys were first taken to study the deadly parasitic disease, kala-azar, or otherwise known as the black fever. This disease is spread mainly by sandflies and causes swelling in the liver and spleen, and will lead to death if not treated immediately.

What? You thought this was going to be all sunshine and rainbows? Of course not, we are dealing with nature here. But of course, we have evolved to an intelligent form of life that can, in most cases, control how nature affects us. Things like medication, or really all medical science. You could even go as far to say that modern day infrastructure is a form of overcoming nature. Heating systems, as well as cooling systems directly combat the temperature outside, and the roofs over are head provide not only a safe place to stay out of the rain, but a comfortable one. So, with all that said, surely they just wanted to investigate these little guys to see  they had immunity right? Well you’d be wrong again.

Hamsters were chosen for six reasons. Two of those being their unique anatomical structure compared to other animals, their vast and easy availability. Both of these seem fine right? No trick, you are correct. I mean what could the next reasons be? They are cute, funny, a little goofy if you will. But no, hamsters where mostly chosen because of their susceptibility to diseases, their short life cycle, very quick again process, and their efficiency in breeding. Hamsters where chosen because they die fast, but reproduce faster.

Now we wrap back around to the domestication of the animals. Past this dark point in their history, they were domesticated. Loved by all and now sold at any pet store, the hamster remains the symbol of utmost joy and cuteness. But never forget, behind those black, beating eyes, is a time of pain, misery, and experimentation.