hamster
n. countablen. a small furry animal with a short tail and large pouches in its cheeks for carrying food. Many people keep them as pets because they are easy to care for.
n. a small, burrowing rodent of the subfamily Cricetinae, often kept as a domestic pet or used in laboratory research. Characterised by short tails, thick fur, and large cheek pouches used for transporting food.
The hamster runs on its wheel every night.
We bought a large cage with several tunnels to keep our pet hamster active and entertained.
While hamsters are popular introductory pets for children, their nocturnal nature means they are often most active when their owners are asleep, leading to unexpected noise during the night.
Borrowed from German Hamster (see for etymology). Displaced earlier term German rat.