24 APR 2012: I admit that when I permit myself a long self indulgent yawn and stretch it is often a sign that I am happy and comfortable.  It does not mean that I am a hamster or wish to be one.  If I rub my flanks against an object it is purely coincidence and not an attempt to mark a territory.  I am quite sure of that, although I am not a hundred percent certain of which of my parts are the flanks.

As much as I have a certain amount of empathy for rodents, I wouldn’t want to be one. I am learning that there are those who do want to be one, if only for a night.  These folks are not satisfied to gnaw on the Sunday paper like the rest of us.  No, they want to book into a hotel where they can live like a hamster.

The Villa Hamster opened in the French town of Nantes in 2009.

Creator Yann Falquerho says that “The Hamster in the world of children is that little cuddly animal. Often, the adults who come here have wanted or did have hamsters when they were small."

Please know that when Falquerho made this comment, he was wearing a furry hat with ears.

The first guests to stay in the villa were Maud and Sebastian. They told Reuters TV that the appeal to become a hamster is to come out of our daily routine.

I am not getting it.

The Hamster Villa is a small home built in the 1700s.  The amenities include a container of organic grain and a tube that one can slurp water from.

According to the Guardian, the double bed is a hay stack and can be accessed only by a step ladder and a quick scramble on all fours.  Actually, that part I get.

The piece de resistance is the running wheel. The difficulty was finding one big enough for humans.

You would think the difficulty was finding humans who would be willing to pay $150 night for cage-like accommodations. In fact, the demand is so great; the rates will be increased to $200/night.

Aren’t the humans the same species who complain to hotel management if they find a rodent in their room?

Yet there are those willing to spend money to mimic an animal that burrows in the dirt to avoid daylight.

Surely there must be teenagers whose rooms one can rent out for less money; they are more likely to have some pizza crusts or munchies lying around.