Last week I got a new cage for one of the hammies. I gave it to Guinevere since she is the one who likes to make a run for it. I thought she would appreciate the new space. Well I was wrong; she had no desire to have a new space. So after several days of no interest I gave her back her old cage and gave Parker the new cage. To say she liked it would be an understatement.
For those who don't recall. I got Guinevere and Parker over the summer when they were about 6 or 7 weeks old. Up until about a month ago I did not see them too much (unless Guinie had escaped). They mostly slept. But recently they have started moving around more and being more active in the early evening. Parker and I have gotten to be good friends. She comes down and will take nuts out of my hand, we have spent time playing in the playpen, she has even gotten out of her cage and quietly let me put her back. She is a sweety. That is until last night.
Last night I gave Parker the new cage. She went from the sweet furry friend to Jungle Jane. She started climbing the sides of the cage all the way to the top and then dropping. It was giving me a heart attack. I thought maybe I had the tunnels too far off the ground for her to climb into. But, she proved me wrong and wiggled her furry ass up the the tunnel. Only to come down head first and fell onto her head when she dropped out. Was she hurt or dis-swayed from climbing again? Lord no, off she went again. It was like watching a 5 year old at the play ground.
This morning to my dismay I discovered she found a way out, just knocked the top of the sleeping area right off. I don't want to think how she got to the floor. The cage is a good 2 foot high, the sleeping area is another 12-15 inches above that and then she is on top of a 2 foot high bookcase. She is a good 5 feet off the ground. But she was on the ground under the bookcase and she did not want to go back in her cage. When I went to pick her up for the first time ever she bit the holy crap out of me.
Getting her back in her cage was an ordeal that left me feeling pissed and guilty all at the same time. The only way I could catch her without getting bit again, was to set a container over her. She hollered and hissed the entire time. Even Kali was a bit afraid of her. The only other time I have heard a hamster make noises was Franklin when I first got him. For a second or two I missed my little Franklin and his bad attitude. But for Parker, she continued to carry on her tantrum until I literally dropped her in the cage. She immediately ran to wheel and started running. This is a hamsters way of telling you they are stressed. I tried to feed her a nut but she would have nothing to do with me. So I left her alone to go and doctor my hand that was bleeding profusely.
Hopefully when I get home Parker will still be in her new cage and not roaming the room looking for a fight.
Posted by
Cynthia