We blocked off what we could.....but the heat registers are the ones found in "hot water included" places (I think they are also called electric heaters?) and to cover up the area that she loves to crawl into would cause a serious fire hazzard and I didnt want her running free all night for the same reason! But as it stands she is back in her little habitrail cage (only untill one of our other females is finished weining her pups so we can split cage them) and the habitrail cage is back on top of my tower and when i go to bed the whole thing is being put in the bathtub with the washroom door shut (that way if she does manage to escape again then she will be easier to catch). But your ideas are good for the other gerbils (Hoppy, the harry houdini gerbil, dosent like her cage, the tubes, or anything that we could use to catch her) Heather ----- Original Message ----- From: "dana grace" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 31, 2001 11:43 PM Subject: catching fugitive gerbils
> So sorry to hear about the traumatic evening for your little gerbil! Her poor > tail! I have found that it is best to be patient. As long as everything that > I can possibly seal off is sealed off, then I narrow down the area. I have > lured little ones away from a particularly dangerous spot by seeming as if I > don't care that they're loose, and giving them a diversion. When they move > far enough away from the area that I can block it without them getting back > in time, I shove a towel or blanket very tightly against whatever it is (like > a refrigerator with a tempting little space at the bottom). After doing this > repeatedly, I eventually block off any emergency areas, and then do my best > to hinder their escape by blocking off surrounding areas with whatever they > can't get through. In the meatime, several tubes are set up so that they can > try to hide and I can grab the tube. Things like open bags with food or > oatmeal cans are ideal, because they will usually get interested enough to > get inside, and then you can grab the open side so they can't escape. It's > always best to capture them by throwing a towel over them, when you can't get > them the other ways, because this usually traps them and you can pick them up > still covered and not hurt them. Leaving the cage open on the floor and > sitting very still for a long time - especially if you have a tube connecting > where they are hiding to their cage - is usually fool-proof, because when > they are tired or scared they'd rather be in the cage anyway, and are often > too frightened to try to get back in. I have also found that a bright > flashlight either scares or interests them, which you might be able to use to > steer them the right way. > > After a horrible scare in which Daisy had jumped out during a feeding and hid > in the room, and I thought she had been killed when I couldn't find or hear > her ANYWHERE for several hours, I changed my system. I now keep the cage > inside a large enclosed area that I made out of cardboard. I am fortunate > enough that I was able to use up a lot of space in my apartment, so I can > also sit in there and be sure that play time or any other event that involves > a possible escape will never cause worry again. They come out and run around > for as long as they like, and usually go back into the cage all by themselves > when they're tired. There is no chance of escape since most of the apartment > is riddled with tiny places to hide and potential hazards. You might be able > to modify this so that the cage sits within a large box or something with > relatively high walls, so they can still get light and look around, but if > they get out accidentally, they will not be able to leave the box and the > immediate area of their cage. If you're paranoid, this might give you some > peace. > > I hope some of these ideas are helpful to someone if another gerbil gets > loose. > > Good luck, > > Dana :) > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Move your email to a better address. > Over 1,000 domains to choose from! FREE! PRIVATE! > http://www.MailSpace.com
