Wednesday, April 20, 2011

When Gerbils Run Wild

Last night the gerbils escaped. One or another of us neglected to put the top back on their tank and they took total advantage.

Fortunately? One of them got all the way into Mr. Spock's office where he was still working on stuff, and scampered over his foot. Muffin Man and I had already gone to bed, but Mr. Spock sounded the alarm, and downstairs we ran to go gerbil hunting.

Spottie, being less adventuresome, was still in the playroom where their tank is. MM coaxed him out of hiding with some sunflower seeds and was able to catch him in the ceramic thing we use for the gerbil's dust bath.

Runner, however, was having none of it. He hid out under the storage shelves in Mr. Spock's office and we had to nudge him out with a yard stick. He put up a fight, though, trying to eat the heavy wood of the stick. Finally we cornered him behind a computer and left him with only one route out...which was blocked with the ceramic dust bath. He sat for quite a while making the decision to give up his really quite frightening freedom for safety and security in the tank. It was clear to all of us that he knew what the dust bath meant and that he went in deliberately.

After they were both back in their tank, they ran around sniffing everything and, especially, sniffing each other. The level in their water bottle this evening was lower than it has ever been before and they had eaten more of their food.

I'm grateful neither of them found a way out of the house. I would be sad to lose those little funny creatures.

5 comments:

Val said...

That sounds like a nightmare. I'm glad it ended well. Geesh!

Magpie said...

The funniest letter I ever got in college was the one my mother wrote me when the gerbils escaped. All over the damned house, they were. Glad you found yours.

kathy a. said...

glad you found them! and also that the escape did not involve leaps from heights, which ended unfortunately for one of my sister's hamsters.

Mummy/Crit said...

Lucky Mr S was up, and up for gerbil-chasing too. I'm glad you got them back safe and sound.

Anonymous said...

Quite an awakening experience to look down under your desk and see what appears, at first glance, to be a rat running over your foot.

These little beasties are a lot of fun, but I prefer to visit them, rather than have them come visit me.

-ms