Hamtaro begins with Laura's family moving to a new town. While Laura is buying stationary at the hamster store she meets her best friend Kana. While Laura is out Hamtaro, Laura's pet hamster, gets out of his cage and goes down a drainpipe where he first meets Oxnard, and later he meets up with the rest of the hamsters and use the Boss's house to make the clubhouse they stay at. Laura then goes on her first day of school and notices Kana is in her class. For the rest of the show it follows the adventures of all the Ham-hams and their owners. The show started because of the hamster craze in Japan basically from what I've heard. Who would'nt love these cute and cuddly hamsters!?
Hamutaro is the main character of "Tottoko Hamutaro," an anime based on Ritsuko Kawai's manga in the children's magazine Shogakou Ninensei ("Second Grader"). The anime follows the daily lives of Hamutaro and his owner, Ryoko. It began airing in Japan in 2000 and will be coming to the Cartoon Network this June.