Wednesday, April 19, 2006

The Fugitive is apprehended at dawn......

Vince
Vince


I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning after having a horrific dream that Vince was trapped in DD's net bag (which holds her swimming training aids) with a huge snake. DH & I had been arguing about who was going to put their hand into the bag & save her. He was arguing that as I have smaller hands I should do it as was there was less surface area for the snake to strike & I wasn't buying any of it. I woke up & just knew that she was in the trap & sure enough when I turned the light on I saw a small pale brown lump in the bottom of the vase. She was fast asleep & very cold so I quickly put her back in her cage, gave her some food & fresh water & then headed back to bed. When I woke DD later I was the 'Best Mummy in the Whole Wide World' & she's been bouncing ever since.

After 15 days on the run she has lost weight but has gained in another area. This picture was taken on the day we got her (February 17th), this photo was taken on March 19th & today she looks like this - see how much the tufty bits have grown.

So now DH can decorate our bedroom & the carpet can be relaid. She had definately been in the bathroom wall as our neighbours told DD that they'd heard some scuffingly in the wall when she happily reported her news. I had warned both sets of neighbours that she was missing in case they laid poison thinking they had mice.

Thanks to everyone for their help & suggestions, especially Nickerjac who was the first to describe how to build a trap for her. Initally she didn't like the dust sheet that we used to lead up up into the vase but eventually she over came this as we put food on it so she had to walk on it.

11 comments:

Fred said...

Methinkx she has been reading my blog while your back was turned!

blueadt said...

I've no idea what type she is. She was handed into the RSPCA after being found wondering in a park in early February. Some bright spark had the clever idea of releasing her into the wild & it was winter here. The RSPCA advertised her for a 7 days just incase someone had loft her & then rang me as I had put our names down a few weeks before as a potential hamster home.

Daisy said...

Hooray for the fugitive's return!

Nickerjac said...

I am so glad you found him x

Anonymous said...

Now, possibly some people would say that hiding the hamster just so you can get Best Mummy in the World award is going too far...

So glad you managed to find Vince - that's great news.

susoolu said...

Sounds like Vince has had a rather exciting Easter Holiday! But is happy to be home now. Wonderful news.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad Vince is safe and sound!!

the stripey tiger said...

Well done - I dont know if I would have had the patience to keep the trap etc going 15 Days!! Glad he's back safely. ;-)

ra said...

aren't animals amazing? my cat went missing once for fourteen days and I was convinced she was dead (lived in a particularly rough part of Sunderland at the time) but she turned up home safe and well, if thin and dirty.

I'm glad you managed to recapture Vince, early experience has clearly given her? a taste for the wide open spaces.

Emily said...

So happy you have her back!

I used to have these mini-cavia's and one time one went missing in my bedroom. I had no idea where he was and searched everything. The day after I went to bed, and a few hours later I woke up because I heard him moving. Turned out he had been looking for heat and was in the cover of my blanket!! They do the strangest things!

Love!

RoxyK said...

So glad to hear Vince is back! Funny how it was around the 2 week mark. I think by then they've had enough freedom and are happy to return home to their bed.

Maybe a padlock on the cage might be a good idea in the future....