Hampsters are often kept as pets, they are natives of Europe, here is an old document written by an early naturalist in the 1700s...
The Hmpster inhabits Austria, Silesia and many parts of Germany, Poland, and Ukraine: the southern and temperate parts of Russia and Sibiria: and also the Tartarian deserts, in sandy soil, disliking moist places.
They are fond of such spots as abound with liquorice, whose seeds thety feed on.
They are very destructive to grain, eating great quantities and carrying more still to their hoards.
Within the cheeks are two pounches, recepticles for its booty, which it fills till the cheeks seem ready to burst: the Germans compare a greedy fellow to a Hampster.
The Hampster lives underground, they first form an entrance, burrowing down obliquely: at the end of the passage the malesinnks one perpendicular hole; the female several: at the end of these are formed various vaults, either as lodges for themselves or their young or storehouses for their food: each Hampster young has its different apartment; each sort of grain its different vault.
The Hampster makes vaults to different depths, according to the age of the animal: a young Hampster makes them scarcely a foot deep; an old one sinks them to a depth of four or five feet, the whole diameter of the habitation, with all its accomidations is sometimes eight or ten feet.
The whole race is so malevolent as to constantly reject all society with one another. They will fight, kill, and devour their own species, as well as other lesser animals, so may be said to be carnivorous as well as granivorous.
They have from sixteen to eighteen young at a time, two or three times a year. Their growth is very quick: and at the age of about three weeks, the old one forces them out of the burrows to take care of themselves: she showes little affection for them. If anyone digs into her hole, the female Hampster attempts to save herself by burrowing deeper into the earth, totally neglecting the safety of her brood.