Hairless hamster gets new sweater as winter approaches

Silky in her custom-made sweater knitted by a staff member at the Oregon Humane Society

A tiny hairless hamster in the US state of Oregon will keep warm this winter after getting a custom-made sweater.

A staff member at the Oregon Humane Society (OHS), in Portland, where she is being cared for, knitted the sweater to help one-year-old Silky stay warm.

The hamster was born hairless due to a genetic mutation, except for short curly whiskers on her snout.

"She does need to be kept in a heated environment," especially in winter, said Diana Gabaldon from the OHS.

"While she isn't fluffy like a normal hamster, she is just as cuddly and playful as any other hamster," Ms Gabaldon added.

Silky will be available for adoption soon - preferably in a well-heated home

Silky's owners had left her with the Humane Society when they were moving house and realised they could no longer care for her.

The Oregon Human Society said on its website that Silky spends majority of her time in a "warm, clean habitat, with fresh bedding, food and water, and a wheel to run on."

She wears the sweater for special occasions, the society said.

Silky is also being treated for an eye infection. She will be available for adoption soon.