LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man has turned over 94 hamsters to a local animal shelter, telling officials he was running out of room in his apartment.

The director of the shelter says the rodents were well cared for and will make nice pets.

Shelter director Mike Keiley tells the Eagle-Tribune (http://bit.ly/xEjiiR) that the hamsters’ owner, whom he didn’t identify, stopped by this month and said he had a lot of hamsters to surrender.

A Lawrence animal control officer says the man was “overwhelmed” when officials came to get the hamsters Friday, and initially wanted to keep a few. But she says he changed his mind.

Officials say the man started keeping the hamsters about five years ago.