The Story of Awwwwww

The year was 1946. Albert Marsh had just won a bet. His prize was a strange, small creature. It had soft fur, puffy cheeks, and big teeth. It was so small it could fit in his hand.

What was this cuddly creature? It was a golden hamster! At the time, golden hamsters were rare in the U.S. A few had arrived in America from Syria, a country in the Middle East.

Marsh thought that hamsters would make great pets. But few Americans had ever heard of them. Plus, hamsters are a type of rodent. They’re closely related to rats. And most people did not want rats in their homes. Marsh wanted Americans to fall in love with hamsters. But how?

The year was 1946. Albert Marsh had just won a bet. His prize was a strange, small creature. It had soft fur, puffy cheeks, and big teeth. It was so small it could fit in his hand.

What was this cute animal? It was a golden hamster! At the time, golden hamsters were rare in the U.S. A few had arrived in America from Syria. That’s a country in the Middle East.

Marsh thought that hamsters would make great pets. But not many Americans had heard of them. Plus, hamsters are a type of rodent. They’re related to rats. And most people did not want rats in their homes. Marsh wanted Americans to fall in love with hamsters. But how?

Today, 70 percent of homes in the U.S. have a pet. Many animal owners think of pets as part of the family. But that hasn’t always been true.

For much of history, people owned animals mostly to work. Dogs helped guide other animals and hunt. Cats chased mice and rats away from kitchens. Only rich people had pets for fun. 

That changed in the 1800s. Americans started buying family pets. Soon, dogs and cats became household favorites.

Today, 70 percent of homes in the U.S. have a pet. Many people with pets think of the animals as part of the family. But that hasn’t always been true.

For much of history, people owned animals mostly to work. Dogs helped guide other animals and hunt. Cats chased mice and rats away from kitchens. Only rich people had pets for fun.

That changed in the 1800s. Americans started buying family pets. Soon, dogs and cats became favorites.

Marsh came up with a creative plan to make hamsters a popular pet too. First, he needed people to love the animals as much as he did. Marsh asked a local store to display 12 hamsters in its window. People saw how cute the pets were. In one day, all 12 hamsters had been sold, and the store wanted more!

Next, Marsh needed to get the word out about hamsters. He put advertisements in newspapers and magazines. He also wrote a book about how to care for hamsters. The book flew off the shelves!

News about the adorable pets soon spread across the country. Before long, hamsters were a hit!

Marsh came up with a creative plan to make hamsters popular. First, he needed people to love the animals as much as he did. Marsh asked a local store to show 12 hamsters in its window. People saw how cute hamsters were. In one day, all 12 had been sold. The store wanted more!

Next, Marsh needed people to hear about hamsters. He put advertisements in newspapers and magazines. He also wrote a book about how to care for hamsters. The book flew off the shelves!

News about the adorable pets soon spread across the country. Before long, hamsters were a hit!

Marsh had started a hamster craze. In many ways, hamsters make great pets. They’re fun to watch as they run around. They’re great for kids because they’re clean, gentle, and easy to handle. And of course, they’re totally cute. 

Marsh’s hamster craze ended in the 1950s though. A disease that harms hamsters killed many of the animals. People stopped buying them. 

But the story of hamsters in the U.S. wasn’t over yet! In 1971, another American brought wild hamsters back from Syria. Some of them became pets. Once again, people fell in love with the adorable animals. 

Today, millions of Americans have pet hamsters. These cute creatures have wiggled their way into our hearts. And it all started with Albert Marsh.  

Marsh had started a hamster craze. In many ways, hamsters make great pets. They’re fun to watch as they run around. They’re also great for kids. They’re clean, gentle, and easy to hold. And of course, they’re totally cute.

Marsh’s hamster craze ended in the 1950s though. A disease that harms hamsters started to spread. It killed many of the animals. People stopped buying them.

But the story of hamsters in the U.S. wasn’t over! In 1971, another American brought hamsters back from Syria. Some of them became pets. Once again, people fell in love with hamsters.

Today, millions of Americans have pet hamsters. These cute creatures have wiggled their way into our hearts. And it all started with Albert Marsh.

Humans have owned animals for thousands of years. Check out the different pets people have kept over time.

Humans have owned animals for thousands of years. Check out the different pets people have kept over time.

Ancient Egyptians owned monkeys, crocodiles, and hippos. An Egyptian queen once gave a giraffe as a gift!

Ancient Egyptians owned monkeys, crocodiles, and hippos. An Egyptian queen once gave a giraffe as a gift!