Raffy (Syrian Hamster)
- Thread starter Maz
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So - Raffy has been giving me the run around 
. He has been sneaky. For the past few nights he hasn't gone anywhere near the door or the blanket and has done his usual things around the room and using his saucer etc.
This was to lull me into a sense of security! Last night he was over at the blanket again - and I was watching him like a hawk. He knew I was watching him and would occasionally just sit in front of the blanket having a wash and looking at me. Occasionally he would then try and climb the two foot high blanket barrier at the side of the door (no way he can get under the door as the blanket is well and truly stuffed under there). I would say no and he would ignore me. So I would stand up as if to go over and he would immediately and sheepishly skedaddle in the opposite direction knowing it's not allowed and I was coming to stop it!
The last time this happened he shot off to the far side of the room, nowhere near the door. I still kept my eye on the door. But after a while I kept thinking - so where is he? It's very quiet. And I want to go to bed. I waited. No noise, no appearance from Raffy. Eventually I had to start looking for him around the room and behind things - there aren't that many places to check. Couldn't see him.
I suspect it's while I was looking for him that he got out as Pip seemed to be trying to tell me something Lol! Pip hasn't been out much for ages but came out and seemed to be trying to tell me something. I didn't get the message!
I started rattling the food box and making the odd cage door closing noise to see if that would bring Raffy out. But by this time I was pretty sure - he was not in the room.
The blanket was still in place - no sign of it being pulled down a bit or anything. But I removed it and went through the house looking for Raffy. There are no hazards in the other rooms but I didn't really want him going in the kitchen as there are no boards in front of the kitchen cupboards and it would be difficult to get him out if he went under them.
He wasn't in the kitchen, he was in an inner hallway between the kitchen and the other two downstairs rooms. He sat there and looked at me and I looked at him. But realised I couldn't try and pick him up or he'd run off. So I had to go and get a tube for him to walk into - meanwhile he went into the downstairs bedroom so I shut that door. Came back with the tube and couldn't find him! The room doesn't have a lot in it so not many places he could hide. I waited and waited and called his name. Silence. By this time I was beginning to think he could walk through walls!
So I left the room and thought - if he doesn't come out soon I'll have to set a bucket trap - I want to go to bed! I went to get the food box again and as I went back in that room I saw Raffy sneaking across the end wall. So I called him and he stopped.
Thankfully he is well trained to just walk into a tube so I put the tube down and he walked into it and I took him back to his cage.
But he was clever!
. He has been sneaky. For the past few nights he hasn't gone anywhere near the door or the blanket and has done his usual things around the room and using his saucer etc.This was to lull me into a sense of security! Last night he was over at the blanket again - and I was watching him like a hawk. He knew I was watching him and would occasionally just sit in front of the blanket having a wash and looking at me. Occasionally he would then try and climb the two foot high blanket barrier at the side of the door (no way he can get under the door as the blanket is well and truly stuffed under there). I would say no and he would ignore me. So I would stand up as if to go over and he would immediately and sheepishly skedaddle in the opposite direction knowing it's not allowed and I was coming to stop it!
The last time this happened he shot off to the far side of the room, nowhere near the door. I still kept my eye on the door. But after a while I kept thinking - so where is he? It's very quiet. And I want to go to bed. I waited. No noise, no appearance from Raffy. Eventually I had to start looking for him around the room and behind things - there aren't that many places to check. Couldn't see him.
I suspect it's while I was looking for him that he got out as Pip seemed to be trying to tell me something Lol! Pip hasn't been out much for ages but came out and seemed to be trying to tell me something. I didn't get the message!
I started rattling the food box and making the odd cage door closing noise to see if that would bring Raffy out. But by this time I was pretty sure - he was not in the room.
The blanket was still in place - no sign of it being pulled down a bit or anything. But I removed it and went through the house looking for Raffy. There are no hazards in the other rooms but I didn't really want him going in the kitchen as there are no boards in front of the kitchen cupboards and it would be difficult to get him out if he went under them.
He wasn't in the kitchen, he was in an inner hallway between the kitchen and the other two downstairs rooms. He sat there and looked at me and I looked at him. But realised I couldn't try and pick him up or he'd run off. So I had to go and get a tube for him to walk into - meanwhile he went into the downstairs bedroom so I shut that door. Came back with the tube and couldn't find him! The room doesn't have a lot in it so not many places he could hide. I waited and waited and called his name. Silence. By this time I was beginning to think he could walk through walls!
So I left the room and thought - if he doesn't come out soon I'll have to set a bucket trap - I want to go to bed! I went to get the food box again and as I went back in that room I saw Raffy sneaking across the end wall. So I called him and he stopped.
Thankfully he is well trained to just walk into a tube so I put the tube down and he walked into it and I took him back to his cage.
But he was clever!
R
RainbowBrite
Wow! That sounded like a well thought plan and he knew exactly when to carry it out too! Clever Pip to try and warn you. That really was so smart too. What a relief Raffy is trained to walk into the tube and you were able to catch him and go to bed. You must be so tired after all that last night.
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Yes it was a very late night ha ha. He must have climbed the two foot blanket while I was looking for him and my back was turned to the door! Newt used to be like this. I may just leave the door open and have a barrier in the kitchen instead and the other doors closed.
R
RainbowBrite
Wow, if only that was all captured on camera.
E
elusive
What a little rascal Raffy is! I can just imagine the thoughts going through his head as he watched you & planned his little excursion!
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I have this little vision of Raffy sneaking out of the door behind my back while Pip was trying to tell me something 
. Maybe I was wrong that Pip was trying to tell me - maybe they were in league! "You create a diversion while I sneak out of the door".
. Maybe I was wrong that Pip was trying to tell me - maybe they were in league! "You create a diversion while I sneak out of the door".
R
RainbowBrite
We did once say Pip should have a collection of children's story books.
E
elusive
I did wonder if that might have been what Pip was up to!
M
Member ID2
It sounds like Raffy had a great night out! No doubt, he'll want to repeat that.
I have this vision in my head now of Raffy sneaking along the end wall, going low and trying hard not to be seen.
I have this vision in my head now of Raffy sneaking along the end wall, going low and trying hard not to be seen.
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I think he went fast! Maybe behind the sofa on the same wall as the door, when he saw me heading over to the bookcase near the stairs in case he was in there. And just climbed up and over the blanket - fast! Of course I should have replaced the blanket with a piece of wood but haven't found anything big enough yet.
M
Member ID2
My OH cut wood panels to slot in the door frames which works really well.
No matter how much freeroaming space we give them, soon as a hamster finds out that there is another room they will do everything they can to outwit us to get in there.
Clive will sit on the other side of a door and wait for me to come out so he can run into the room.
No matter how much freeroaming space we give them, soon as a hamster finds out that there is another room they will do everything they can to outwit us to get in there.
Clive will sit on the other side of a door and wait for me to come out so he can run into the room.
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Well the last two nights I just left the door open and blocked off most of the kitchen. Last night he clearly decided that was boring (going through the door and finding a blockage) so spent a lot of time making a racket in an alcove behind the TV - which has a lot of stuff piled up. Clearly seeking an escape route. There are no wall gaps there but he was clearly looking for one!
Beryl the idea of a wood panel across the door is a good one. Unfortunately this is a very strange door and the wall isn't even straight at one end of it so it would still leave a gap. It was easier to prop up a piece of wood in the kitchen just beyond the door. ie blocking off the door alcove. So he gets about 1.5 feet of kitchen floor and that's it. It would nice if I could block off half the kitchen and let him run around downstairs more but it would be so hard finding him again as there is too much stuff he could hide behind in other rooms.
Beryl the idea of a wood panel across the door is a good one. Unfortunately this is a very strange door and the wall isn't even straight at one end of it so it would still leave a gap. It was easier to prop up a piece of wood in the kitchen just beyond the door
. ie blocking off the door alcove. So he gets about 1.5 feet of kitchen floor and that's it. It would nice if I could block off half the kitchen and let him run around downstairs more but it would be so hard finding him again as there is too much stuff he could hide behind in other rooms.
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RainbowBrite
I wonder if Raffy has been watching The Great Escape...
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You can guarantee if there is a pile of junk or muck somewhere, a hamster will find it. The alcove behind the TV is technically shelving but has boxes of junk (not really junk but "stuff") and an old dvd player etc piled up at the bottom. Raffy was using the whole lot as an obstacle course. And definitely looking for a gap somewhere behind something. I had to keep an eye on that, but the only thing he chewed a lot was a cardboard box. However there is an old coal shovel there and instead of walking round it he decided to climb over it. This was slightly alarming as I thought he might castrate himself if he jumped while straddled over the metal edge. I was about to retrieve him but he had sensible thoughts and decided it was too precarious and came down and walked round it instead. Think I'll move that up a shelf though!
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RainbowBrite
They really do find the things they should not! Raffy sounds sensible. I bet he loved having his adventure.