The hamster I had just before Saoirse, a cute little gray/white banded sable named Bella, had passed away nearly 2 years before. I had waited to get another hamster until I had settled back down into my own place and within a month after moving in, Saoirse became part of the "ham-ily." She was the first hamster carrying the tortoiseshell markings that I ever saw in my area. She was such a sweetheart from day one and oh, so tiny. Like Willow, she used to just sit at times in her burrow, sitting up with her head popped out so she could watch me. Saoirse helped me write rough drafts during my first year returning to college. A couple months before she passed, she took part in a protest in support of a local grocery chain store. By "protesting" I mean that when other folks were putting photos of their dogs taking part in the protests, I did a photo shoot with Saoirse as a protester and posted it online for comic relief. I miss my little "black and tan" as I used to call her. . . . . . #saoirse #lilpocketbears #rainbowcrew #hamstersofinstagram #syrianhamster #hamsters