Mr Pickles' life saving surgery

When Mr Pickles arrived at our centre, he was a happy, healthy little hamster, and we had no reason to suspect anything was wrong. But one Wednesday, we noticed something alarming—his cheek pouch had prolapsed!

He immediately saw our vet, who told us this was incredibly rare and that he needed surgery as soon as possible. While waiting for his operation, we kept him as comfortable as possible with pain relief, soft bedding, and plenty of TLC.

The next morning, he headed off to Highfields Vets, and we all kept our fingers (and paws!) crossed. Surgery on hamsters is always risky—anaesthetic can be dangerous for such tiny animals, and even a little blood loss can be life-threatening. Once in surgery, the vet discovered a lump inside his cheek, which may have caused the prolapse. The best option was to remove both the lump and the affected cheek pouch—thankfully, hamsters can still live happily with just one!

To our huge relief, Mr Pickles pulled through like a champ! He was back on his feet and tucking into his dinner in no time. His treatment, including surgery, pain relief, and antibiotics, is expected to cost around £150. Since we’re completely self-funded and separate from the national RSPCA, we rely on fundraising to cover costs like these.

The response to Mr Pickles' story on social media has been amazing! So many people wished him well and checked in for updates—it’s heart-warming to see so much love for a little hamster. Small pets often get overlooked, but they deserve just as much care and attention. In fact, we're the only RSPCA-licensed animal centre within 55 miles that takes in small animals, and we’re currently working on a brand-new unit to help even more!

Thank you for supporting Mr Pickles and our charity—it means the world to us and the animals in our care.