A pet hamster named Mollie has gained internet fame for his nightly running routine, logging an average of six miles on his wheel each night, tracked via the Strava app by his owner, a Dutch physicist named Thijs. This quirky story has garnered attention on social media platforms and in publications like Runner's World, with Mollie accumulating over 9,000 followers on Strava.
Mollie's owner, Thijs, rigged his hamster's running wheel to the app, discovering the 10-month-old rodent's impressive mileage. "He's beating me," Thijs told the CBC, noting that Mollie's weekly distance of nearly 70 kilometers would be a significant achievement for many human marathon trainees. Mollie's Strava updates are often accompanied by puns such as "No Rest for the Whiskered" and "The Fast and the Furriest."
While the story of Mollie's running prowess has charmed many, it also brings to light broader ethical considerations surrounding the ownership of small pets. Hamsters, specifically Syrian hamsters native to the steppes of northern Syria, are naturally inclined to traverse varied landscapes, forage for diverse foods, and build deep burrows. In contrast, pet hamsters are typically housed in small cages, fed a monotonous diet of grain pellets, and have limited opportunities to engage in natural behaviors.
Animal welfare experts express concern that confining these animals in such environments can lead to stress and repetitive behaviors, often referred to as "stereotypic" behavior, such as gnawing on cage bars. While some research suggests that wheel use might help mitigate these behaviors, other studies propose it could also be an indicator of stress or an urge to escape. Jessica Pierce, a bioethicist and author on pet ethics, has stated that the welfare of small pets is often worse than that of larger animals like dogs and cats, as they are less likely to be perceived as capable of suffering.
Thijs himself acknowledges these concerns. He adopted Mollie from a previous owner who kept him in an even smaller enclosure, where he exhibited worrying behaviors like climbing and biting the cage. Upon bringing Mollie home, Thijs provided a larger cage, a bigger wheel, and toys, which appeared to improve the hamster's well-being. He hopes the attention Mollie receives might educate people about the ethical considerations of keeping small pets and discourage impulsive purchases.
"I hope the attention that Mollie got will not result in people impulsively buying hamsters (and then forgetting about them after it turns out their hamsters just sleep 80% of the time)," Thijs stated. He also expressed interest in using the activity data to gain insights into how environmental changes, such as cage cleaning or his own late-night habits, might affect Mollie's behavior.
The issue of small pet welfare is further complicated by the conditions in which many of these animals are bred. A 2024 investigation by Last Chance for Animals into a large US "hamster mill" documented thousands of rodents kept in overcrowded, barren cages. The investigation reported animals suffering from dehydration and disease, with no veterinary care provided. Breeding hamsters with decreased production and weaker offspring were reportedly gassed to death.
Concerns about breeding practices and the welfare of small pets have led some cities, including Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C., to prohibit pet stores from selling rodents and other small animals. Ethicists like Pierce argue that even with dedicated owners, the inherent limitations of cage confinement and common care issues make it difficult to provide a truly good life for these animals, leading to a widespread, often overlooked, crisis of neglect and suffering.