Home News This Dad’s Texts Went Viral after a Hamster-Related Meltdown by Erica LoopDecember 16, 2019 Search more like this peanut buttersingle fatherhamsterdadcleaningpetdistresstakegetblamedevoteworryflourgetaway Advertisement Trending Now News Disney+’s Prices Are Increasing—Unless You Want to Watch Ads Food & Drink General Mills Is Bringing Back 4 Classic Sugar Cereals That Your Mom Never Let You Eat Viral & Trending Cat Sneaks into Family Car & Joins Their Road Trip, Becomes Instant Celebrity Viral & Trending Weatherman Discovers His Map Is a Touchscreen and His Reaction Is So Pure Celeb & Entertainment Serena Williams Announces Retirement: ‘If I Were a Guy, I Wouldn’t Be Writing This’ Advertisement Daniel Veerman is one devoted dad. The 53-year-old single dad was given a very special job when his 19-year-old daughter Steph went away to college—caring for the teenager’s pet hamster.Daniel fell into a weekly routine of cleaning Chester the hamster’s cage every Sunday. When the dad/hamster caregiver took Chester out of his cage for the weekly cleaning, he’d put Chester into a clear play ball. Chester got the chance to roam (in safety), and Daniel got the chance to clean without worrying about the pint-sized pet. That is, until one Sunday when Chester made an unexpected getaway. my dad took over my hamster once i went back to college and ended up getting really attached and today he escaped and this goes to prove how truly pure my father is pic.twitter.com/JmTJl6jFBI— Steph Veerman (@stephyj725) November 25, 2019What happened next resulted in a text conversation hilarious enough to go viral. Daniel called his daughter ASAP and according to Steph, in an interview with BuzzFeed, her devastated dad was “blubbering” and “couldn’t get out sentences.”Chester taking it all in!! Thanks so much for all the love!! pic.twitter.com/AS640e45aG— Steph Veerman (@stephyj725) November 27, 2019“I was having a freaking heart attack,” Daniel told Buzzfeed. The dad’s distress was palpable in the texts he sent his daughter—which Steph posted on Twitter (after Chester was found safe and sound). At one point Daniel texted his daughter, “If I can’t find him today I’m not going to work tomorrow so I can keep looking.” Steph replied to her dad, “Dad—he’s just a hamster I don’t blame you at ALL. You shouldn’t skip work you are a lawyer and he is a hamster.”told him he had a lot of people on twitter who loved him so he did his hair and posed for this pic i’m dead i love him so much pic.twitter.com/urR2WMmeDE— Steph Veerman (@stephyj725) November 27, 2019The distraught dad devised a crafty plan to lure Chester back with peanut butter and treats and scatter flour on the floor (to track teeny-tiny footprints). As it turns out Daniel’s plan worked! By that night Chester made a triumphant return. —Erica Loop RELATED STORIESJerry O’Connell Singing Prince’s “When Doves Cry” Is Every DadThese Fathers & Daughters Doing Ballet Together Is Just What We Needed TodayThis Daddy-Daughter Duo Makes Horror Fan Films & You Need to Watch Them Right Now Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this peanut buttersingle fatherhamsterdadcleaningpetdistresstakegetblamedevoteworryflourgetaway Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? Select YES below and click submit to start receiving FREE pet ideas and inspiration, news about new pet products, exclusive offers and limited-time promotions. Yes, I have a pet! Submit GET READY FOR SUMMER! Enter to Win a $250 Gift Card! Enter your email and zip code below for a chance to win a Mastercard Gift Card. We’ll pick one winner per month through August 31, 2022 – 5 lucky winners in all! email zip_code campaign_name Enter Now! I agree to the official rules and to receive email communications from Tinybeans. By providing my email address, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience possible. Accepting the use of cookies enables important site functionality including personalization and analytics. Accept Decline Create an account to save this content on Tinybeans Choose how you would like to sign up. Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Continue with Email By signing up, you agree to Tinybeans Terms of Service and acknowledge you have read and agreed to our Privacy Policy. Sign in to your Tinybeans account Don’t have any account? Create an account here. Forgot your password? Reset it here. Sign In or Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google Personalized recommendations Tinybeans uses personal information to share useful recommendations and ideas for your family. This may include your previous activity, family profile and your hometown. Tinybeans keeps your data safe and does not sell personal information to any third party. Learn more about your privacy and location choices. Close
Celeb & Entertainment Serena Williams Announces Retirement: ‘If I Were a Guy, I Wouldn’t Be Writing This’