So, he named him "Pickles."

Last year, Joel and his roommates had a hamster named Sally. One day, Sally escaped from her cage. Two weeks later they found her...in the insulation fluff in the back of their oven. Needless to say, she had not survived her adventure.

A year later, I figured Joel was ready for another hamster. I had one in mind for his Valentine--a dwarf hamster with big "eyebrows"--but I didn't feel a connection with any of the hamsters available at Petco or Petsmart.

I didn't even consider a guinea pig until I saw the cutest baby boy. His fur was all cowlicks, like the hair of a college boy who had just rolled out of bed and gone to school without brushing it. He looked a little like Lydia, Taite's childhood guinea pig. When I held him and he stayed perfectly calm (and didn't pee on me), I knew I'd be taking him home.

Here's the video from his unveiling:



Glee.


What a pretty little piggie!


Awwwww.


Joel discovers that "Pickles" is ticklish: