Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Navigation
Front Page
Forum
Gallery
Wiki

Ads by Google


Go Back   Hamster Central > Hamster Central Forum Topics > Hamster Chat

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-04-2015, 05:50 AM   #1
RubyDG
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
RubyDG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,661
Default Spike, The Radiator Siege & Other Adventures

So a bit of background first - Spike free ranges in my bedroom which I (by which I mean my husband) hamster proofed. Several reasons why but also because my health is poor and I was having trouble playing with Spike properly because the little monster has far too much energy and I couldn't keep up. So he is always constantly supervised when out but I don't need to stress if he zooms off because there is nowhere he can go. So when I had him out last week, after using me as a human jungle gym, he ran off under the bed. I got to my feet just in time to see a little furry bum disappear behind the radiator. Now I wasn't too concerned at first. I did block it off with an old pillow during play time just because I didn't want him getting stuck behind it but he managed to dig under it in the 5 seconds it took me to get up. So I went to the radiator and took a peek behind it once again just in time to see his little furry bum disappear inside the wall !! And so began the absolute worst 6 hours of my life. We could initially hear him inside the walls but then after awhile it stopped. Eventually my husband made me take my medication and put me to bed. I was heartbroken. I was sure I'd never see my fluff monster again. Lo and behold hours later my husband woke me up with a little furry bundle in his hands! My husband had caught him when he came out the wall and raided the storage tub that contained his food and treats! He of course had no idea what the fuss was all about and just wanted his supper .

After that my husband cut a piece of hardboard to size which slots behind the radiator to block any access to the previously unknown about hole behind it. I now also use an old throw and tuck it in securely under the radiator because I'm not taking any chances. So now that brings me to the title of this post 'The Radiator Siege'. Since then he has been systematically staging attacks on the radiator to get back to his new playground inside the wall. He has also been stashing his treats under the bed next to the radiator so he has the foods he likes nearby. This is now what play time has become. Him scrounging food, stashing it under the bed, and then waging war against the throw blocking his access to the hole behind the radiator. So I did what any hamster owner would do and took a video of it

Attack_zpstl3pekes.mp4 Video by RubyRose | Photobucket

I thought it was too funny not to share . Anyway, I'm now looking at other options to completely block off the radiator, I don't think that throw is going to survive much longer :P
__________________
Hamster Mom to Axel McFluffypants who wears his Scottish kilt proudly.
Forever Hamster Mom to a Syrian Fluff Monster called Spike - now laying siege to all the radiators over the Rainbow Bridge

Last edited by souffle; 03-29-2015 at 10:17 AM. Reason: OP request
RubyDG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2015, 06:21 AM   #2
DrKMcK
Retired Moderator
 
DrKMcK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Brooklyn, New York USA
Posts: 10,295
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

Hamsters really do remember where they found a way to escape their cages or where they found a neat hole in a wall or floor. And they nearly always go for it again. You are going to need to do a playpen in reverse to keep him away from the radiator. Maybe a tall cardboard box, or plastic sheeting, that fits around the radiator completely. He'll still try, but after a while he will stop.The video is great. It really shows his determination to get in there and explore more.
__________________
DrKMcK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2015, 06:26 AM   #3
Thin Lizzy
Hamster Warrior
 
Thin Lizzy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland
Posts: 15,575
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

lol! He's so determined to get back to his gap in the wall!
Have you seen those fancy radiator covers? They conceal the radiator, I've been seeing a lot of them recently on these house programmes and they look really smart.
Maybe something like that? Is your hubby good at DIY? If so, that might be one solution.
Spike's so cute!
Thin Lizzy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2015, 02:37 PM   #4
RubyDG
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
RubyDG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,661
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

Hee hee. It's so funny watching him have at it. It's been days now and he's still not let up, weirdly he completely ignores the bedroom door even though I've carried him through it many times. I guess you're right DrKMck in that he's now fixated on the hole as his escape route, I do hope he lets up soon though. He gets so upset he bruxes at the throw, this morning I put my foot in the way of his attack on the throw and he gave me such a stink eye!

But in seriousness my carpet is now looking a bit worse for wear and I really don't want him accidentally swallowing any fibers. I have seen those fancy radiator covers you suggested Thin Lizzy but they're a little pricey and since we're renting and it's a fairly small radiator it's probably not worth it. I may get the hubby to build a hardwood box thing around it in a similar fashion though. The thing is the room has two radiators, the big newer one, which I've had to turn off because Spike's cage is in front of it, and then the smaller older one on the opposite wall. So whatever I do it's going to have to be easily removable and store-able since I will need to use the radiator when it's not play time.
__________________
Hamster Mom to Axel McFluffypants who wears his Scottish kilt proudly.
Forever Hamster Mom to a Syrian Fluff Monster called Spike - now laying siege to all the radiators over the Rainbow Bridge
RubyDG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2015, 03:07 PM   #5
JBH316
Hamster Addict
 
JBH316's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Dundee
Posts: 901
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

I had a female syrian who ended up in the wall for 5 days She also wore away the carpet at the corner of the kitchen door trying to get back in - they really don't forget
__________________
Owned by Jingle, Rossi & Tinsel

Playing at the bridge: Snowflake, Haggis, Cupid, Minnie Moo,Trouble, Fraggle & Moth
JBH316 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2015, 03:25 PM   #6
crazyc4tlady
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Essex, England
Posts: 243
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

All these storis of hamsters in walls and under floors, God, I'd be panicking like mad lol
They're so cheeky!
crazyc4tlady is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2015, 08:26 PM   #7
Thin Lizzy
Hamster Warrior
 
Thin Lizzy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland
Posts: 15,575
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

A hardwood box thing around the radiator would do it, Spike is so naughty to keep at it but, you gotta admire his determination and cheekiness. You seem very calm, I'd be climbing the walls with anxiety!
Thin Lizzy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2015, 03:19 AM   #8
RubyDG
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
RubyDG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,661
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

Quote:
Originally Posted by crazyc4tlady View Post
All these storis of hamsters in walls and under floors, God, I'd be panicking like mad lol
They're so cheeky!
I wasn't kidding when I said that those hours he was inside the wall were the worst ever. I actually thought I was going to be physically sick. I honestly don't know what I would of done if he hadn't come back. My heart really goes out to those who have lost their hammies

Quote:
Originally Posted by JBH316 View Post
I had a female syrian who ended up in the wall for 5 days She also wore away the carpet at the corner of the kitchen door trying to get back in - they really don't forget
Eeeek . If it was me I would have been a total mess after 5 days. Glad she remembered her way home

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thin Lizzy View Post
A hardwood box thing around the radiator would do it, Spike is so naughty to keep at it but, you gotta admire his determination and cheekiness. You seem very calm, I'd be climbing the walls with anxiety!
As of this morning he still shows no signs of letting up . Despite the bruxing I think he is secretly having a blast though. I should of called him Napoleon!
__________________
Hamster Mom to Axel McFluffypants who wears his Scottish kilt proudly.
Forever Hamster Mom to a Syrian Fluff Monster called Spike - now laying siege to all the radiators over the Rainbow Bridge
RubyDG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2015, 11:55 AM   #9
Hetty
Adult Hamster
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Waterford, Ireland
Posts: 293
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

Ekk! Your wee fluff monster is definitely one cheeky little chappy! My rescued male, Basil, used to do this, except he'd crawl/clamber up inside the radiator casing (I lived in a listed building, all the radiators had their original 1920's (?) radiators and casings). Scared me right proper!!! I could hear him pattering and snuffling about. He also went up the inside of the wall (I don't know how), and all I saw was his fluffy head peering out at me from the vent mesh up on the wall corner. I actually, like you Ruby BG, though I was going to vomit with the fear and worry of trying to coax him back down!!!!
Basil would also lay siege after siege to the underside of the door jamb. And go on demented carpet ripping rampages....tearing through a libraries worth of paper-back books and hard back tomes just to get at that sweet sweet carpet!!! But I say he secretly enjoyed it.....
Hetty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2015, 12:51 PM   #10
RubyDG
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
RubyDG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,661
Default Re: The Radiator Siege

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hetty View Post
Ekk! Your wee fluff monster is definitely one cheeky little chappy! My rescued male, Basil, used to do this, except he'd crawl/clamber up inside the radiator casing (I lived in a listed building, all the radiators had their original 1920's (?) radiators and casings). Scared me right proper!!! I could hear him pattering and snuffling about. He also went up the inside of the wall (I don't know how), and all I saw was his fluffy head peering out at me from the vent mesh up on the wall corner. I actually, like you Ruby BG, though I was going to vomit with the fear and worry of trying to coax him back down!!!!
Basil would also lay siege after siege to the underside of the door jamb. And go on demented carpet ripping rampages....tearing through a libraries worth of paper-back books and hard back tomes just to get at that sweet sweet carpet!!! But I say he secretly enjoyed it.....
Waaahaha! I sometimes have moments when I wonder if Spike is a little demented too . I can't imagine looking up and suddenly seeing your hammy in a vent though . Spike likes to have a go at the carpet too. I had one friend ask me why he hates the carpet so much, and another was a little concerned about why I have pieces of heavy corrugated cardboard covering sections of my bedroom floor. I'm convinced they do stuff like this because they get a kick out of driving us crazy .
__________________
Hamster Mom to Axel McFluffypants who wears his Scottish kilt proudly.
Forever Hamster Mom to a Syrian Fluff Monster called Spike - now laying siege to all the radiators over the Rainbow Bridge
RubyDG is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.43 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2022, Hobby Solutions
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:54 AM.