Dusty, short for Dustball our dad hamster, was missing yesterday! I found his running ball empty with the lid open on the kitchen floor. Audrey put him in the ball on the kitchen floor to get some exercise, unsupervised. We know he cannot go up steps, but he could be anywhere downstairs.
Our search under, behind, and in the corners of everything revealed no sign of Dusty, not even a dropping.
Suddenly, our dog Chocolate growled viciously at a corner of the kitchen cabinet. We searched inside the cabinet, but found nothing unusual there. Chocolate growled again at the same spot. Further investigation by Audrey revealed a small gap under the cabinet, just about the right size for a hamster to slip through. This means Dusty was UNDER the cabinet where he cannot be accessed except through that tiny gap. Even Amy’s hand cannot fit in there.
This is a job for professionals. The trap was set. A pile of seeds and some cheese were the bait. We turned off the kitchen light, making sure noise level was at zero. Mike was staked out at one end of the kitchen, I at the other, each with a towel in hand. Our plan was to cover the hole with the towel as soon as Dusty came out to the bait. All we do now is wait. But for how long? Hamsters are nocturnal, but I am not. My 10pm bedtime was fast approaching.
Lo and behold, in less than 2 minutes, I spotted the furry body of Dusty, cautiously taking a few steps onto the kitchen floor. I frantically waved at Mike while making suppressed excited grunting noises. That was enough to set Dusty back into the hole!
We went back to our hideout. In less than a minute, he came out again. This time I held my tongue completely. We waited till he was almost to the middle of the kitchen where the bait was. Mike jumped into action and scooped him up from behind with one hand. The fugitive was caught.
Interviewer: “What was it like to experience total freedom for over an hour?”
Dusty: “Freedom is not what I thought it would be. It was rather traumatic actually. I was very vulnerable to the elements such as wild beasts, loud thundering noises, and heavy traffic that could easily make me into roadkill!”
Interviewer: “What did you miss most while you were out?”
Dusty: “My creature comforts such as my soft napkin bed, the warmth of my wife and kids, and unlimited food and drink in the cage. I am not going to complain about being caged in anymore.”
Interviewer: “Are you in the mood to look for more adventures?”
Dusty: “When the opportunity of a loose door presents itself, why not? (smirk)”