[There's a momentary frown on his face at the mention of hamsters, but of course it's okay to say that word. He's a big boy, he can handle it. It's depressing to think about still, sure, but...]

While there was no question as to who was leading the breeder community for hamsters, and my research focused mainly in that area at the time, I often kept and bred many beasts at once. Just before leaving for Hope's Peak, in fact, I had been privileged to witness the hatching of one of my new avian partners.

[And actually, the fact that it is still depressing is kind of the reason he went in the opposite direction. Not...really ready for rodents yet.]