When Chris Davies’s daughter first begged him for a hamster, he wasn’t precisely extremely joyful.
But eight-year-old Lily, after hours of analysis, controlled to persuade her dad they weren’t simply “starter pets” and to welcome one into their house.
The NHS nurse purchased Popcorn, a hamster he mentioned he knew there used to be “something different” about from the start.
But not anything will have ready Chris for the “surreal” have an effect on the rodent would have on his lifestyles, ultimately main him to the girl he’ll quickly marry.

Not lengthy after bringing Popcorn house, Chris’ lifestyles took an anticipated flip as he had a “sudden” break-up.
“I was broken after,” he mentioned. Yet right through the ones lonely occasions, it used to be Popcorn who presented him sudden fortify.
“I thought I’d just be more open-minded and see what this animal was about.”
Chris used to be stunned to seek out that Popcorn behaved extra like a faithful pet than a rodent.
“He was following me like a dog,” he mentioned. “I got him on the sofa with me, and he fell asleep on my chest. I couldn’t believe it.”

For Chris, who struggles with anxiousness, Popcorn quickly was a supply of calm and connection.
“It was just a really beautiful thing. It was mindfulness.
“Being a nurse within the NHS, some days are slightly arduous and it is truly annoying, however Popcorn would simply calm me down.”
Lily and other family members began encouraging Chris to post videos of Popcorn’s behaviour online.
“I used to be roughly nervous to start with,” Chris said. “How many blokes do you spot mendacity on a settee with a hamster?”
But almost as soon as Chris began posting videos of Popcorn on TikTok, they took off.
More than140,000 fans were charmed by Popcorn’s unusual personality, his affection and his bond with Chris and Lily.
He became, as Chris lovingly described him, their “micro-dog”.

What followed was a bizarre set of events no one could have been predicted, Chris said.
As Popcorn gained popularity online, Chris and Lily wrote a book together about the impact that the little critter had on their family, which was then published in May 2024.
Then one evening, Chris then received a comment from a fellow Cardiffian, Carrie, telling him his content was “adorable”.
The pair got chatting, soon discovering mutual passions, a shared love for animals and even the same profession.
“We had been dwelling just a mile aside, however we might by no means ran into every different,” Chris said. “It used to be loopy.”

Chris and Carrie met in person a few months later and when Carrie held Popcorn, Chris said, it was like a something “clicked into position”.
The family, which has now grown to include Carrie and her children as well, sadly lost Popcorn in the summer of 2023.
But fast forward to today and Chris and Carrie are engaged, set to marry this December.
Their wedding cake will even feature a small tribute to Popcorn, with his name written at the bottom.
“Without him it do not have came about, you realize. He used to be cupid, in some way.” Chris said.
Though Popcorn has been gone for a few years now, his impact remains immeasurable.
For Chris, he was more than just a pet. “There’s by no means be any other Popcorn,” he said. “He used to be only a one-off.”