This past Monday I traveled almost 2 hours to deliver the Dove band male from Iris's litter, and Chia's sister a Satin LH Black Tort, and an adult LH REC Banded Dominant Spot male I had rescued from sure death to a Hobby breeder in Ohio. I got two lovely big Roan girls in my Hamstery, and she raises mostly Cream based colors and had a beautiful Mink Male pup only 5 weeks old to trade me. There was also a big and lovely Mink Banded young adult female too which came home with me. There was also a 2nd hobby breeder just 15 minutes away who met up at the first breeders home to collect her pup Iris's Black Tort Band. The 2nd breeder gave me a lovely out-cross bloodlines Homozygous ED Black female as a thank-You for traveling so far for them to gain new bloodlines in their Hamsteries.
I went thinking I was only coming home with 2 newbies only to end up coming home with and extra Hamster so only had 2 bin travel cages so I put the 5 week old Mink Male in a cardboard Petsmart box and put him inside a 66 liter bin cage which I have yet to ventilate thinking if he chewed out he would just end up in the bin safe and sound. I didn't hear any chewing on the way home and when I arrived back home almost 10 hours later I brought in the bin and set about placing newbies into their awaiting bins. I got to the Mink pups box and NO Pup inside, NO pup in the bin.
I was really upset at myself and went out to the Mini Van and with flash light in hand looked through the whole van front seat(where the bin sat) to rear wheel well where the fold down seat sat, and NO Hamster. Since he had been in the box at the 1st breeders home I called and asked her to be on the look out as it was possible he got out before even placing the bin in my car.
I took and older Critter Trail cage I've had just sitting around in the basement out to the car with lots of Paper toweling and a small amount of food, and a water bottle in hopes he would be like most Hamsters and climb up to the sleeping loft and I would catch him in the loft IF he was indeed in the Van.
Tuesday came and went with no signs of any Hamster in the cage, food went undistrubed, and no bedding was touched. Wednesday resulted in the exact same thing and began the thought that he may have found a way out of the car via the wheel wells where the jack is at, or by crawling into the motor coweling cover and into the engine which also lead to the outside world.
However on Wednesday evening I just had to give the Van one more look see. The last Hamster I had loose in a van was found in the Spare tire well and I decided to really look at the far back seat which was folded down and was in the hiding position with a cover over the seat. I felt in the seat cushion to find a bunch of foam rubber and cloth material and about a 1/4 cup of yup Hamster food and poops, and a hole in my seat Grrrr. No sign of him but tons of signs the little bugger was in the Van.
I had loaned my bucket trap to my Pastor to help him catch and release a Field mouse in his house so I decided to use the bin which had no holes or ventilation, and I cut out a mesh ladder for him. I placed some really sweet smelling Higgins Hamster food(smells like Oranges) and placed the bin in the back well now that the seat was unfolded, and closed the hatch up and went to bed.
This morning at 8AM I went out and opened the hatch and low and behold I see one very mad little Mink pup who gained several grams, and was in perfect health meerkatting and looking at me. So since he lived in a HUGE Hamster cage with tons of space to free roam for 3 days I decided to name him Mechonit which means Car in Hebrew(all my Hamsters have Hebrew names)
I wonder if I should notify The Ford company that Kia may make the Hamster Car but Ford has the first Hamster Mini Van
Here he is once trapped in the bin:
Attachment 27260
Mechonit will be my Male used to My LH Mink Roan girl next year as well as my SH Sable Roan girl. He also is unrelated to the LH Mink Band girl so I should have a really good Cream line starting next year at ST's. Mechonit's Sire is an Umbrous Black Dominant Spot who carries Cream and Cinnamon, and his Dam is a beautiful big Silver Dove who carries Cream.