September 23, 2025

Hamster Energy

From Squishmallow hideouts to internet stardom, Bernard the hamster squeaks fluent cuteness with main character energy.

Hamsters have always been underrated internet pets, small enough to fit in your palm, dramatic enough to stage an exit at any moment. Bernard, a long-haired Syrian hamster living in a college apartment, has turned those qualities into his own brand of viral charm. We first met him on TikTok, when Kelly’s mom aka Bernard’s grandma pulled back with a nervous “I'm not ready” at the sight of him. Weeks later, she was cooing “hi baby” like he’d been part of the family forever. That arc, from hesitation to obsession (a storyline many pet grandparents know well), mirrors Bernard’s own rise from a random pet store pick to a social media star, with Kelly and her family along for the ride. Lucky for us, Kelly and Bernard are here to squeak their story.

Meet Bernard

During junior year, one random Thursday my roommates and I were joking about getting a ferret, but since that was way out of our budget, we decided on a hamster instead. We ran to the pet store an hour before closing and there were two long-haired Syrians, one black and then Bernard. I actually wanted the black one since I had a black lab at the time, but my roommate picked Bernard and I instantly fell in love. I even texted my parents, “don’t be mad at me,” with his picture right after, which was obviously a joke because I’m in college and can buy a hamster if I want haha.

My mom met him for the first time that October during break, which ended up being in the viral video where she says “I’m not ready,” and later that day she was holding him no problem. It was funny since we grew up with so many animals, including a dog, bunnies, fish, mice, even other hamsters, so it made no sense that she was nervous to hold him.

At first, my roommates and I all shared Bernard, but when they moved out, I kept him, and I’m so grateful I did because now he’s such a huge part of my family and life.

Going viral, family-Style

I actually posted that video the night before we left for a week-long family vacation, not even thinking it would blow up. I showed my family before we left and everyone thought it was hilarious, and then the next day at the airport it started getting noticed. We spent the whole day tracking the views and replying to comments with my mom, which was so much fun. During the trip we kept watching the numbers climb, and by the third day it hit 1 million views! My mom and I celebrated that night!

My parents are still so funny about it, especially since they say my mom, Bernard’s “Grammie,” needs to be featured more because that was our first really viral video. Now Bernard’s TikTok is like our family group chat obsession! We're always talking about his likes, views, and followers. He’s at about 9k right now, and my goal is to get him to 10k before his birthday on October 1st!

The Squishmallow obsession

The funniest thing Bernard has ever done is when I first started letting him run around on my bed, he would always climb up and hide in between all my stuffed animals. For some reason, his favorites were my Squishmallows, and he’d always hide behind them or climb on top of them instead of any of the others, which was hilarious. I started joking that my Squishmallows are actually his now. In the beginning of me making Bernard's TikTok, I made a video of all the photos of him hiding between them, basically playing "hide and seek,” and that ended up being one of my first videos to get a few thousand likes. Bernard just loves his stuffed animals, especially his Squishmallows!

A fasinating social hamster

I’d describe Bernard’s personality as a mix of super outgoing, energetic, and social, but also really calm and loving when he wants to be. When he gets the zoomies, he really gets the ZOOMIES, but when he’s relaxed, he’s the sweetest cuddly little guy who just wants to sit next to me on the couch. He loves being held by me, my friends, and my family, so he’s definitely a social hamster.

My favorite thing about him is honestly his personality! He’s just such a fun hamster! My mom used to call me “fascinating,” so if I had to use one word for Bernard, I’d call him fascinating too. Like mother, like son!

College, rugby, and a hamster

Balancing school with being a hamster mom has honestly been the best, even if it gets a little stressful at times! Between classes and playing on my university’s women’s rugby team, I’m definitely busy, but I always make it work. The good thing is hamsters are nocturnal, so Bernard is awake at night when I usually have more free time. I’ll stay up with him so he can roam around in his play area, or lounge on his little couch, which is his favorite spot, and that’s when I capture the cutest videos and content of him.

” No matter how packed my schedule gets, I always make sure Bernard has plenty of love and attention so he’s the happiest and healthiest hamster ever, and I’m so glad I decided to get him during college! I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Bernard’s inner circle

Right now Bernard just has one sibling, a goldfish named Fluffy who’s turning 4 this November! He also technically has a cousin, my brother’s hamster Churro, who’s a short-haired Syrian hamster, and another “roommate/cousin” named Donald, who’s a Syrian dwarf hamster. We recently lost our dog Allie last year and our bunny Moose earlier this year, so we’re not planning on adding any more pets right now. Since I’m graduating college soon, I’ll probably wait until I’m settled into my own apartment before giving Bernard another sibling, but in the future I’d definitely love to get a ferret and maybe another hamster!

What’s next for Bernard

Looking ahead, I have so many fun plans and dreams for Bernard! His first birthday is coming up on October 1st, and I’m already planning a little birthday party for him with plenty of surprises. We’re at about 9k followers right now, and my goal is to hit 10k soon, which would be amazing. I’d also love for Bernard to become a hamster “model” and work with more small animal and pet brands through UGC content, since creating with him has been such a blast. I just want to keep growing his account, sharing his adventures, and of course spoiling him with extra treats along the way!

We thank Kelly for sharing Bernard's story with us. You can follow Bernard on TikTok. And happy early birthday, little guy!

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