Duncan mother, daughter create hamster photo adventures amid pandemic

Sawatsky Sign-Off: Happy Hamster "In a time like right now we need joy." Adam finds out how a photogenic hamster is inspiring a mother and daughter to share positivity during the pandemic.

Duncan — Kienna’s cats were indifferent to cuddles, so the 10-year-old asked for a new pet who was partial to them.

“I wanted an animal that I could take care of and interact with,” Kienna says, before showing me Nugget, the hamster her mom Masika bought her.

While Nugget loved to be embraced, he refused to be confined by expectations.

“We thought [the hamster] was a boy,” Masika says. “We recently found out she was a girl.”

Although Nugget was renamed Nuggetta, she remained placid during the pandemic — unlike her people.

“It was a challenging time,” Masika explains. “It was a little bit stressful around here.”

Her business — Masika May Photography — was suddenly at a stand-still.

Then she noticed a social media post, showing a picture of a tiny basket that her friend and daughter made.

“Her daughter remarked [the basket] was small enough for a hamster,” Masika says.

That proved to be a big inspiration.

Masika borrowed the basket and took a picture of Nugget sitting in it. Kienna thought it was so cute that she started building tiny sets so her mom could take more photographs of her pet.

“Kind of crazy things,” Kienna explains. “With a cute little hamster doing it.”

They took pictures of Nuggetta posing in a small red car in a lawn full of flowers, sitting in a tiny hair salon preparing to get her hair styled, and snacking on banana pancakes in a picnic setting.

“We give her lots and lots of treats,” Masika says. “That’s what keeps her still.”

They show me a behind the scenes video of their hamster photoshoots. You can see Nuggetta exploring the new set before stopping to snack. Because they don’t make the hamster do anything she doesn’t want to do, it can take 30 minutes of waiting to get the perfect shot.

They have taken eight pictures so far, in a series they’ve called "The Adventures of Nuggetta."

The pictures range from Nuggetta baking in a wee kitchen to camping in a tiny tent to fishing from a small sailboat.

Although the hamster is the focus of the happy pictures, the positive byproduct of the process is the strengthening of Masika and Kienna’s relationship.

Instead of worrying about work, stressing about school, or racing between extracurricular activities, the mother and daughter are creating together.

“We get to see each other more doing this,” Kienna smiles.

“It’s been a good reminder to scale back,” Masika says.

We you see the hamster resting on her picnic blanket followed by leaning out her car window to appreciate the scenery, you are reminded that when life is not a picnic you can still stop and smell the flowers.

“Nuggetta is living her good life,” Masika says.

Like the picture of the hamster sitting in the small boat, Nuggetta seems to show us that although we can’t change the wind, we can adjust our sails.

Which is why Kienna is making more sets, Masika is planning more pictures, and both are wondering if they should compile the adventures of Nuggetta into a feel-good book.

“In a time like now,” Masika says. “We need joy.”