my rats got out last night.
brian and i were just running to the grocery story really quick, so we left them in their balls (they just got their own humungo balls and they both totally dig them). when we got back, both balls were sitting there with the little hatches off, empty. i almost lost it, i was so scared. however, in about 2 seconds, oliver comes sauntering right up to me. i love that guy, he knows where his food comes from.
igby, however, loves to hide. i was pretty scared about finding him. i looked in some obvious places and was about ready to pull all the furniture away from the walls when i heard some noises behind the fridge. its fortunate that every inch of my apartment has clutter to knock around, otherwise i would never have heard him. so i sat in front of the fridge with cheerios, baby talking him and making the treat noise. he very slowly, very cautiously made his appearance between the fridge and the wall and very cautiously took the cheerio from me. any advancement of the hand made him shrink away (fast as hell, too, the little booger), so i grabbed his travel case (which they both love, for some reason), put another cheerio in there, and he went right in. they both were put directly into their cage, and i felt just like the parent whose kid ran off- so mad they left, but so relieved theyre ok.
it was a good learning experience, though. i learned:
1. those balls, though they may have been stupidly expensive, do not keep rats inside indefinately without supervision
2. my rats are really freaking smart. those balls didnt have holes nibbled in them, they figured out how to unlock the doors and push them off
3. oliver will always come to me. he is a piggy, piggy boy and very easy to find.
4. the rats getting out is not the end of the world. i have treats, i can use their travel case, i can listen and find them.
whew!
Shoot The WendyBird 