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I’ve heard people joke about using hamster wheels to harness small amounts of energy, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone enlist the pets to help in their Ollie-North-by-Northwest schemes. That’s right it’s the very first Hamster Powered Paper Shredder, for all your secrecy needs! (Note: it’s only a prototype as of now). Still, the idea just feels right. Not only does the hamster help line his own cage every time he runs on his wheel, but every bit of exercise gets rewarded with a giant ticker tape parade. Of course, the only drawback seems to be if you’ve got a lazy hamster. Mine were always of the procrastinating sort, and I’m not sure paperwork agreed with them. Link via OhGizmo.
I LOVE IT! Our hamster, Hammie (RIP) would get a nice bottom layer of paper from our shredder, before we would put down the pine chips.
Just be aware that the Hamster Powered Paper Shredder will only operate at night.
Hamsters being nocturnal and all. But at least you won’t have to worry about I.D. thieves rifling through your trash and taping those strips back together. YUCK!
posted by CropTillDawn on 6-13-2007 at 9:03 am
“Note: it’s only a cagey prototype as of now” —
LOL, “cagey”, LOL… I got it.
posted by Raymond on 6-13-2007 at 9:51 am
Hmmm, I wonder – wouldn’t the hamster go shredding through all that paper with his teeth if you just put it in his cage?
Still, nice idea!
posted by Scriveyn on 6-14-2007 at 2:35 am
Wouldn’t the paper come back out if the hamster decides to run the other way on the wheel? Or do hamsters generally just run in one direction exclusively?
posted by Rachel on 6-14-2007 at 12:53 pm
You could get a bigger one attached to exercycles or walking machines, if you have a large office….
posted by Tanja Cilia on 6-17-2007 at 7:22 am
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
posted by anon on 12-31-2007 at 3:45 pm
Thanks for the tip. I stayed up until the wee hours chunking and sorting all the crapola to be shredded. When I got to my Office Depot, not only was there no truck but nobody in the store knew anything about it.
Bravo.
posted by lisaray on 1-25-2008 at 5:18 am
These Destroyit Shredders are compact enough to keep beside the desk and sleekly styled for any decor, yet all have the same high-grade steel cutting heads and 10-year warranty as the largest Destroyit shredders. Every model takes staples and paper clips.
posted by Fellowes Paper Shredders on 1-22-2009 at 2:47 am