Hamster Wheels

Sounds from childhood

Fluffy was a Roborovski dwarf hamster, one of four total I owned consecutively. Fluffy #1, #2, #3, #4. Before you ask, I was diagnosed with autism a decade later.

She ran all through the night and slept during the day. That’s partly why I remember the sound so vividly, a grinding whir of plastic and hamster paws in the pitch black of my living room. The whole reason we kept her down there was because of the noise.

All the usual daytime city sounds would taper off, aside from the occasional siren or train whistle, and my teeny tiny finger-sized dwarf hamster would rumble the entire house.

CRRRRRRRRRRR, CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I was never bothered by it, she was on an important mission and had to move under the cover of darkness. I guess her enemies must’ve just been deaf.

CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR