A devastated hamster owner has had her dead pet stuffed and turned into a pole dancing stripper.
A devastated hamster owner has had her dead pet stuffed and turned into a pole dancing stripper
Jess Porter-Langson, 27, was left bereft when her Roborovski dwarf hamster, named Hammington, died in August 2023 after she had him for three years.
She wanted to do “something special” to immortalise the animal, so found a local taxidermy artist to turn Hammington, also known as Hammy, into a pole dancing stripper.
Jess’ pet now stands wearing a bright pink thong stuffed with dollar bills as he “hustles for money” while clinging onto a stripper pole.
Music merchandiser Jess proudly keeps the £175 taxidermy piece next to her bed, and says it gives her comfort as the animal was an “emotional support hamster” during the years she moved to London in her early 20s.
She told the Daily Mirror: “I bought a hamster and that became my little project over the lockdown. I built him an enclosure out of recycled material and stuff. It was my hobby.
“He ended up living a really long time. I only got the hamster because they live for one to two years and that’s all I could commit to.
“Hammy died on August 27 2023, just shy of three years after I got him. He passed away in his sleep just of old age. A good way to go. Not like flying into a blender or something like some people’s hamsters.
“He was a really big part of my formative life, especially after moving to London. He really was an emotional support hamster, which is crazy to say.
‘This hamster was so iconic and all of my friends knew Hammy and wanted to see him. He needed something special.
“I don’t even know where the stripping hamster thing came from but I thought, what is more iconic than a hamster on a stripper pole hustling for money?
“I was blown away. In my mind, I was preparing that something wouldn’t be right and I thought I was going to have to tell her to redo it and take my dead hamster apart again.
“But when I saw it I was just gobsmacked like, wow this is beyond perfect. She did such a good job.
“I love the thong. She even sewed it out of little fabric. It’s so good. I love his little smile as well. He’s got this creepy little smile going on.”
Taxidermist Bea Ostrowska, who created the piece, added: “It was such a pleasure meeting Jess and helping her to immortalise Hammy.
“His little pink thong was a bit of a different project than my usual horror creations but this along with the fact that he was a beloved pet made it even more special.”