RANDOM STORIES - Hamster ... Conclusion

Last night was worth it. I set up Cornpop's cage by closing off the side entrance and opening her front drawbridge-like door instead . Then I sprinkled some more flour on the floor in front but this time I smoothed it over so that it's easier to distinguish her footprints.

I had the dvd camera all ready to go but decided I should brush my teeth first. I didn't want that kind of noise on film. As I peeked out the bathroom door and looked down at the cage I noticed ... footprints all over already! Darn! I had missed her.

I tidied up the flour once again, sprinkled a little food in the cage, and made sure to start the camera this time. A couple minutes later I looked down at the set-up ... and there she was! And then quick as a flash ... she was gone.

I started to feel a little disappointed about the whole thing. I was looking forward to filming her but if she goes in the trap right away I won't get much footage. I sat at the top of the stairs (only six, our home is a bi-level) and every now and then looked down to see if she had returned. I was feeling pretty tired by now so I was resting my eyes.

Everything remained quiet and it was 12:30 am. So I decided I may as well just go to bed. As I lay there trying to go asleep every little sound had me wondering if it was Cornpop. I heard some faint noises from downstairs and then some scraping sounds. But I was tired so I must have dozed off.

I woke up just a few minutes later though and I couldn't resist taking a peek. It was quiet in the kitchen. As I surveyed the scene once more ... it looked like there was a small brown body sleeping in her cage loft. Could it be? I carefully crept down the stairs, only to see her look up at me with little squinty eyes.

I rushed to the cage door and closed it. Boy, would the girls be happy to see her againI I turned off the camera and went back to bed. It was 1:30 am and I was tired. Jami woke up at 6 am though and was asking me how it went. I made her wait until 7 am before I would give her any answers.

This is what I found on the film:

Cornpop made many quick trips around the bookshelf, the bucket (trap), and sometimes the cage. Not all of which was filmed because the camera was stationary. (The picture below shows the area it was focused on). She made three trips to her former home. Her first one lasted 12 minutes before she went off rambling around the living room. Her second visit was shorter and her third one must have tired her out.

Between her visits I saw her make a brief visit to our dog's water dish on the right. It looked like she might have taken a small sip. She preferred her own (blue) water bottle though, drinking from it for 2 minutes straight and then another time for 6 minutes. That must have been the scraping sound I heard from my bedroom.

She totally avoided the ladder (paper roll/tunnel) leading up to the bucket. From the sounds that were recorded it appears she found another way in. By using the handle on the side she must have boosted herself up. I could here her plop inside, and then the sound of her pushing the dried food into a corner. We figure she must have used this to help her climb back out. All out of camera range!

Shortly after her escape from the bucket, obviously not tall enough for the job, she made her third and final visit to the cage. She emptied out the food she had picked up and went to sleep in her old bed. It had been three nights since her break-out and with all the excitement she must have been bushed.

She slept for the rest of the night and most of the day and she's still sleeping. In a couple of days we may hook up her tunnels to a second cage and her playground will be back in business. But for now I want to keep her in one place, one that is easily monitored.

And the camera footage should make a cute film, once I get it edited and add some catchy music.