Don't! When I was 6 I was convinced the fact that I used to pick my hamster Emma William Tat (yes, that was what I called it as we didn't know whether it was a girl or a boy and mum wanted to call it after her old hamster, tat ) up too much meant that it got cancer...and that's why we had to have it put down....I still feel bad! I even let it be buried in my coca cola cooler bag