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8/07/2006

Adventures In Hamsterland

Last night I experienced my first, true hamster escape...and near cardiac arrest. The thing that really gets to me is that was completely my fault. I'd removed one section of Ami's habitat for a long-overdue cleaning. I put the little door that goes over the connection opening, but I did not put it in properly. I went about the cleaning and some other chores for awhile. For some reason, I went back into the bedroom, looked up to the high dresser and saw the doorless opening. I froze. And panicked. I searched the cage, being foolishly optimistic that perhaps Ami was still in there. Yeah, right. I quickly scanned to see if there were any dogs in close proximity. Rusty was the only one in the room, eating his dinner in his open crate. I glanced over past the crate and there was Ami, sitting under the corner table. I froze again and worried that he'd bolt when I reached out for him. I couldn't think straight in the moment though, so I didn't come up with any better ideas. I went for it and scooped him up. So, I was relieved that my little hammy had not become an appetizer for one of my pets of the canine persuasion. Then, I wondered how the little guy had fared in his grand jump/fall from the tall dresser. I think hamsters pretty much bounce and he seemed fine on the multiple inspections I gave him before I went to bed. There's even the possibility that he landed in the full clothes basket that was nearby.

So, in conclusion, I think it's a good idea to always keep a full basket of laundry near my dresser to, you know, break any hamster falls.

6 comments:

ren said...

if that's the case than all hamsters are safe at my house. very, very safe!

plenty of laundry baskets. plenty.

SJ said...

Ooh I had an unfortunate accident with a hamster once when it escaped while cleaning it's habitat...

Chris said...

Every hamster I've ever had was a Houdini-esque escape artist. Our last hamster escaped and was missing for about two days. We found him in the laundry room where he had moved in behind the washing machine and he was covered in oil. Bathing an oily hamster was no fun.

When I was younger we have one of the first Habitrail hamster homes that had these nifty little twist-lock caps (I think they've changed the design a bit). Our hamster kept getting out and I assumed that someone wasn't tightening the caps enough, but one day I caught him on his back with one little leg wedged against an elbox in the pipe using both front paws to untwist and remove the end cap. They're smarter than the look.

Brenda Griffith said...

When I was growing up, I had gerbils who used to break free when we would go out of town for a few days. We would come home to find the cage empty and the tv cord chewed. Eventually we would round up all the wily little rascals and stick them back in their cage till the next jail break.

TiggerLarue said...

When I was young we had a teddy bear hamster that we put in one of those rolly balls. My sister and I never did find him......... it's still a bit traumatic to this day...

Bird On A Line said...

Yikes!

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