This influencer runs 6 miles every night. He’s also a hamster.
Mollie, a 10-month-old pet hamster in the Netherlands, probably runs a lot more than you. We know this because, a few weeks ago, a Dutch physicist named Thijs — who owns Mollie — rigged up the rescued hamster’s running wheel to Strava, a popular app that runners use to log their miles. Thijs found that […]
Mollie, a 10-month-old Syrian hamster from the Netherlands, manages to run approximately six miles each night on his exercise wheel, as documented by his owner Thijs via the Strava fitness tracking app. The hamster, who has amassed nearly 9,000 followers on Strava, outpaces the average marathon runner in weekly mileage. Thijs, a physicist, rigged Mollie's wheel to the app to log his nightly runs.
However, this seemingly heartwarming setup raises concerns about the welfare of small pets. Hamsters, originating from open steppe environments, are confined to tiny cages, deprived of natural behaviors like burrowing and foraging. This unnatural existence, coupled with a monotonous diet, can lead to stress, stereotypic behaviors, and limited access to veterinary care.
Ethical concerns about small pet ownership include the potential for animal neglect and the unrealistic expectations of pet happiness. While Thijs' efforts to improve Mollie's life are commendable, the underlying welfare issues remain significant.
Written by urgent.news from Vox's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
