Hamster Drama

Cindy Lou Who

Aya

Why is it that every time we get hamsters, one of them is always an escape artist? Remember? I gave in and got hamsters again...dwarf hamsters this time. The girls worked really hard to earn them and I thought I got a much better cage (for free!) this time. They are really cute, and so fun to watch...until one starts going missing all the time. The first time was one night that Ryan was out of town. I have a hard time sleeping when he is gone as it is...then at 1:30 am the cat starts going crazy. I can tell she's stalking something and sure enough, there is only one hamster in the cage. I spent the next hour with a flashlight looking under the stove, waiting for the right moment to grab it. Or her I should say...Cindy Lou Who is her name. I determined that she got out from the cage door that didn't latch tight enough. So I fixed that problem and the next day, she's missing again. This time I spent a half hour trying to catch her in the cupboard under the sink. I discover a bar in the cage that is loose and figure that's how she got out so I wire it tight. Sunday morning I'm in the kitchen and hear a scratching noise under the stove again. Another half hour spent on the kitchen floor halfway under the oven catching Cindy. We were 20 minutes late for church...but I wasn't leaving a rodent loose in my house! After each capture, I had to vacuum and disinfect under the stove and sink, the thought of her pooping and peeing under there....anyway, my kitchen is now very clean! As I write, Cindy is out again and I'm counting on Sally (the cat) to show me were the hamster is soon and the hunt begins again. I think I'm going to lock her in a plastic box tonight until I figure out how to stop her escapes! Any suggestions?