Every now and then, walking around outside, you see someone with a cute dog or some sort of well-trained cat. It's always awkward knowing the etiquette.

Should I ask the owner's permission to pet the dog? Should I ask the dog's permission to pet the dog? If the dog looks like it likes me more than the owner, does that make the dog mine?

It's always awkward, and you sort of wish the owner wasn't there so you can have some alone time with the cute puppy, without the awkward small-talk with the owner.

But spare a thought (and a moment of silence, please) for Hannah Durant, a student who saw a girl carrying a "hamster" and asked if she could pet it.

I saw a girl carrying a hamster so I asked if I could pet it but it was actually a muffin so I'm on my way to jump of a cliff now

— Hannah Durant (@hdurant) April 18, 2017

Yes. Hannah, who describes herself as a walking disaster, asked a stranger's permission to pet her muffin on Tuesday.

@hdurant You thought a muffin..was a hamster😂😂😂 I am still dying about this

— Casey McHolme (@caseymcholme) April 18, 2017

@caseymcholme casey I'm a walking disaster🐹

— Hannah Durant (@hdurant) April 18, 2017

Picture that from the stranger's perspective. You're walking. You're holding a muffin. A girl walks up to you and asks, timidly "can I... can I pet it??" before realising it's not a hamster, screaming and running off into the distance.

As mix ups go, it's only second to dentist finger suck student.

MY DENTIST ASKED HIS ASSISTANT TO SUCTION (THE WATER OUT OF MY MOUTH)BUT I THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO ME SO I SUCKED HIS FINGER. IM MORTIFIED

— Sarah Lyons (@sarbeaaaar) January 3, 2017

@Carls920 it was so real and he casually goes "oh she just sucked my finger" to the others in the room

— Sarah Lyons (@sarbeaaaar) January 3, 2017

Hannah says she still feels embarrassed about hamstergate two days on. Although she was marginally comforted by her friend yesterday, who mistook a bagel for a turtle.

@hdurant Idk you but if it helps I pulled over to save a turtle one time but it was actually a bagel in the middle of the street

— Jesse Sulewski (@jessesulewski) April 19, 2017

@jessesulewski thank you I'm glad I'm not alone😂😂

— Hannah Durant (@hdurant) April 19, 2017

@hdurant Hhaha I gotchu

— Jesse Sulewski (@jessesulewski) April 20, 2017

People have questions though. Good questions.

@hdurant Why would a girl be carrying a hamster😭😭😭

— Shannon Sestokas (@Nann_OG) April 20, 2017

But before you judge Hannah and say nobody could possibly mistake a muffin for a hamster, take a look at this muffin, discovered last year. Which is almost certainly the result of a mishap in transfiguration class.