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Tiny escape artist!
Apr. 22nd, 2006 11:31 amAt around 5 in the morning, shortly after finally falling asleep, I was awoken by Doyle running in his wheel. As soon as he went down his network of tubes into his cage that isn't a wheel, I got up and disconnected the two cages so he could play in the quiet one and I could get some damn sleep. Since the tubes were no longer being supported in their usual position, I carefully twisted them around a bit till they were resting along the floor. Then I went to bed. I left the tubing such that the little bubble-shaped "observation lounge" piece was pointed sideways downwards towards the floor.
This was a mistake.
Apparently if that piece is sideways, with its doorway on the side instead of the top, Doyle can force his way out. And how do I know this?
Because of how I was awoken at 10 this morning.
By tiny teeth nipping the bottom of my foot.
I've no idea how long he was actually out, but apparently once he was out, he more or less made a beeline for the protective cover of a nearby bookcase. This bookcase is at the foot of my bed, and my "bed" is in fact nothing more than a futon mattress on the floor, so. Nip, nip, and with a mighty kick I jerk awake. Then I had to carefully shake out my blankets to make sure I hadn't trapped him in them, and then I noticed his tiny tan form scampering along the floor and moved to the task of recapturing him. Luckily I got him to run back into his tube with about three minutes of coaxing.
So now Doyle is safe back in his home, with the cages reconnected so he can scamper in the proper place instead of all over my room. He seems none the worse for wear aside from being a bit scared of the big world outside and of the weird kicky blankety thing that probably sent him jumping back two feet when it happened.
I have to say that having a foot gerbil-nipped is one of the strangest wake-up calls I've ever gotten.
This was a mistake.
Apparently if that piece is sideways, with its doorway on the side instead of the top, Doyle can force his way out. And how do I know this?
Because of how I was awoken at 10 this morning.
By tiny teeth nipping the bottom of my foot.
I've no idea how long he was actually out, but apparently once he was out, he more or less made a beeline for the protective cover of a nearby bookcase. This bookcase is at the foot of my bed, and my "bed" is in fact nothing more than a futon mattress on the floor, so. Nip, nip, and with a mighty kick I jerk awake. Then I had to carefully shake out my blankets to make sure I hadn't trapped him in them, and then I noticed his tiny tan form scampering along the floor and moved to the task of recapturing him. Luckily I got him to run back into his tube with about three minutes of coaxing.
So now Doyle is safe back in his home, with the cages reconnected so he can scamper in the proper place instead of all over my room. He seems none the worse for wear aside from being a bit scared of the big world outside and of the weird kicky blankety thing that probably sent him jumping back two feet when it happened.
I have to say that having a foot gerbil-nipped is one of the strangest wake-up calls I've ever gotten.
