> I have had the same adventure with an hamster. He was IN the seat
of my
>car: about 36 hours to catch him with a trap. But I have lost him after 2
>days. I think he had eaten the material of the seat, and this material has
>inflated when the hamster has drink.
No, the stuffing of the seat was fibrous, and caused a fatal intestinal
blockage.
This is the reason why it is BAD to give a hamster or gerbil 'fluffy
bedding' --the stuff that looks like polyfill or cotton balls, or those
compressed bedding blocks.
The fibers wrap around legs and cause amputation, wrap around
necks and strangulate, and if ingested, cause a fatal intestinal blockage
within two days.
Some claim they give their animals and such and have had no
problems...but it is inevitable, that eventually the animal's luck
runs out and it runs afoul of the fibers.
I'm sorry you lost your little one by such circumstances.
I have also had 'gnaw outs' and once spent an hour in a compact
car with a flashlight after 10 pm and the rain catching a 4 week old
syrian hamster. He had not ingested anything however, just some
cardboard from the box, and was fine once I found him. I ended up
having to unscrew the passenger front bucket seat from the rails
so I could get up in the underside of the seat to get him....
> The box in carton is not ideal for the transport of such animals. I
have
>seen a breeder who gives hamsters in a jar in glass with metallic lid
>perforated for the air. It seems not a bad idea.
I suggest that one buy a small plastic 'kritter keeper', the tiniest size
is fine as it's about the size of a transport cardboard box, and keep
that in the car. Take the tags off and marker your last name on it
somewhere on the outside. Then if you do visit a petstore, take the
carrier in with you. Also take a handful of the bedding from the cage
when you get the animal, it gives them something to do on the way
home....or pre-fill your carrier with some shreds of unscented undyed
toilet tissue. This is usually preferable.
I have never had an escapee since I started putting about four
of these in the car and leaving them there, prepared for transport.
It also gives me something safe to transport them to their quarrantine
and set up their cage first (if it was an impulse buy).
Gerbils, I prefer to use the next size up from the tiniest 'Kritter Keeper'
you can get. I keep two of those in the car too. Gerbils especially,
I have had gnaw their way out, nothing like driving heavy traffic with
one hand and the other trying to keep a gerbil in until you get there,
who has opened several fronts on the transport box!
>My trap is very human and easy to home-build, but I am not capable to
>explain it. If it's permitted in this list and if you want, I can join a
>scheme to a next mail.
>
>******************************
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>******************************
Please, forward me a copy of your trap plans.
I understand some french, so it might be easier for you
*in private email*
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
