“[H]is heart dropped when he noticed movement … “
Earlier this month, a man named Ted was out foraging for mushrooms in the forest when he stumbled upon something strange. On the ground, next to a tree, there was a mysterious object covered in a towel.
Ted carefully lifted up the towel with a branch and was surprised to find a hamster cage underneath. At first, he thought the enclosure was empty — but then he saw someone moving inside.
“[H]is heart dropped when he noticed movement in the top compartment of the cage,” Yee Her, Ted’s wife, told The Dodo.
Locked inside the enclosure was a tiny, terrified hamster. It was clear that whoever had trapped the animal inside had hoped no one would ever find her.
“[I]t was not visible from the hiking path, so regular hikers would have never discovered it,” Yee said.
Ted was heartbroken that someone would have done something so cruel to a defenseless hamster. He rushed the animal home as quickly as possible, worried she needed help.
As soon as Ted got home, Yee examined the rodent and found that she was in rough shape. A vet visit confirmed that the hamster, whom the couple decided to name Nugget, was suffering from parasites.
Nugget’s condition was so severe that Yee wasn’t sure if she was going to make it. But throughout all her intensive medical treatments, Nugget fought hard to survive.
“Nugget has always been resilient since day one,” Yee said.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Nugget to bounce back. She’s feeling much better now and is growing stronger and more energetic every day.
“Her fur is shiny,” Yee said. “Her appetite is amazing, which is great.”
Yee is grateful that she and her husband were given the opportunity to rescue Nugget and give her a second chance at life after being abandoned.
“We saved her because it was the right thing to do,” Yee said. “The world needs more compassion and love, and sometimes it starts with the littlest of creatures.”
It didn’t take long for Ted and Yee to decide that they wanted to make Nugget a permanent part of their family. Now, she spends her days lounging around her new, decked-out enclosure and eating all the snacks her heart desires.
“[S]he is just the sweetest hamster with such a spunky personality,” Yee said. “We just adore her.