Hamster Trauma Re-visited

Back on May 22nd, the kids and I left for a short weekend (48 hrs) and came back to find our hamster, Runaround, missing from her cage. I looked everywhere, Mary-Chandler was heartbroken, and I feared our sweet pet was dead. After the children were put to bed, I got out a flashlight and hunted all the corners of the house. And found her through a small opening at the back of the fireplace for a gas line that goes below the house about 11 feet into the lower part of the chimney. It took about 3 hours, but basically I fished the hamster out of the bottom of my fireplace about a floor below me, thru a small hole with a juice box and some twine (like a teeny rescue stretcher). Kent's mechanical idea, but of course he was in Minneapolis so I was on my own! Lots of prayer, coaxing, and singing "Jesus Loves Me" as I finally (slowly) pulled her up to the opening, scared out of my mind that the box would tip and I'd drop her and kill her. I couldn't wait for MC to wake up and find her prayers answered (I tried to wake her up to tell her when it happened, but she was comatose!)

Her back left ankle was broken and the vet was amazed that she held up so well, and wasn't sure that she would make it. We had to remove her wheel and climbing tubes from her cage and change her to one-level living, like a senior citizen. She said the best we could hope for is that the foot would atrophy and she'd be a 3-legged hammy. What a trooper she was, just dragging her little leg behind her and chewing up her toilet paper roll!!

Six weeks later, she was COMPLETELY healed, foot working perfectly, running on her wheel, climbing up tubes, and taking the Fisher Price family van for a spin, as seen above. Our little miracle hamster! Prayers each night included thanking God for protecting Runaround.

Well, by gum, if that crazy hamster didn't escape from her cage the other night once again. And within one hour's time, just like the Israelites in the desert, that nutty gal fell right back down the chimney AGAIN, the hamster verion of taking another lap around Mt. Sinai. I was gobsmacked. Couldn't (and still can't) wrap my head around how this hamster could go right back to the thing that caused her such pain before. Parallel to our own lives? I'll not think of it just now, thank you.

Kent was luckily at home this time and we rigged another rescue contraption (this time using a mini garden flag instead of the juice box); this time there was also blood where there was not previously. Her left ear was bloody, one eye was shut, and she was unable to walk well at all (looked like she had played dizzy bat).

As the vet accurately said the next day by way of an explanation: "Well, her bell's been rung" - but no broken bones this time. A-freaking-mazing that this creature has lived to tell the tale TWICE. Her eye is now open, her ear is healing, and she can walk in a straight, non-DUI looking line. Still sleeping a bit more than normal, but hey, so would I. It's been just over a week, so we'll see how she does, but the fact that she's still around speaks volumes, and we are now thanking God in nightly prayers for protecting Runarount Two Times. ("because she's what? crazy." as Mary-Chandler says)