Escape Artist

This is the cage, notice there is no hampster in it.


This little white guy with pink eyes is Austin.

Well, we have an escape artist at work in my house. But first I have to tell you we have two new additions to our family. We promised the kids in June that when holidays were over that they could get a pet. A cat is out as I am allergic and I think the bird would object. Both DH and I agree that a dog would not be a good idea when no one is home all day. A rabbit was seriously considered, but in the end hamsters won out. Last Friday we went to the store and got a hampster for each of the kids. We had got all the hampster stuff (most of it) from freecylce or garage sales. And the hampsters were on sale for Labor Day weekend. DS picked a white one with pink eyes, he was very forceful in picking that particular one. He named hime Austin (LOL), and he is in a cage in his room, and he is a very responsible pet owner wanting to do it all by himself. This little guy has a terrible disposition. He bites, and will literally lunge across the cage to get you when you put water or new food in.

DD picked a little grey one with white paws, he is a very curious little guy and very sweet tempered. She named him Henry. I can pick him up, pet him, and he is fine. He is always poking his nose around, and examining things. A nice little guy. His biggest fault is getting on the wheel in the middle of the night and making noise.

I am awakend at 5:45 to DD screaming "My hampster" "My Hampster", oh oh I think, he died during the night, as the wheel did not wake me up. I get up to investigate and am told "he is gone". Gone? Yes mom gone. I look, I pick up things, I move the chips around, yup he is not in his cage. GONE.

I look under bed, in closet around. Nothing. Kids go to my room, I go to kitchen and they are screaming he is here mom he is here. I go in there, block the space under the door, and go over to where they are pointing. There is henry sitting up looking at me. I put the ball over him, and turn it over and he is caught. Within 15 minutes of him being out. I don't think that happens often. He had taken all his food out of his food dish and then squirmed up the little hole and out he went. Amazing he survived the fall. So I now have a lid from a tuperware container elastic banded over the food dish hoping it will keep him in. And the first place he went when back in his cage? His food dish to see if he could do it again. AND he was caught in my room right, you wanna know where? In my scrapbooking paper. LOL