Tunnel's On The Loose!

I dedicate this entry to Tunnel, the last of the 3 hamsters I had in my last 18 years. Tunnel was given to me by my Aunt. He died due to a cancerous tumour in 21 September 2005. This entry contains an essay which describes the night he escaped from his cage, written in 2004.

To the hamster that never bites, and is nonchalant whenever his bedroom was rummaged, and who dreams big, this for you. =)

Tunnel’s On the Loose!

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." But for Tunnel's case, a journey of an incomplete thousand miles in the mysterious world of the Flat must begin with a single, mischievous step.

Advice 1: A domesticated hamster would always find ways and means, sometimes accidentally, to escape from its cage.

It all began on Wednesday night. Mum found that Tunnel's cage door was unlatched. Looking into the empty cage was like looking into a vast space of air. TUNNEL ESCAPED!!! “Relax,” I told myself. “Start analyzing the possible escape routes first.” He couldn't have possibly jumped off the table. It was too high. Being fragile, he could have injured himself. Neither he was in my guinea pig’s cage, which was below his cage, nor was he in the nearby dark areas of the VCD drawer too!

Advice 2: Never leave out the most impossible and the most unimaginable areas. Hamsters are smart creatures.

The family living in the world of Flat got into frenzy. With the aid of torch lights, all of them searched every nook and cranny in the 5 countries of the Flat. Balcony, Hall, Toilet, Kitchen, Bedroom. North, South, East, West. I even had to sacrifice my cleanness in order to search in the darkest, dustiest places where lizards frolicked and spiders spun their webs happily. No Tunnel.

Advice 3: If you are convinced that you have searched vigorously in every square inch area of your house and found no visible signs of movement, something is amiss.

So I traveled back to the most possible escape route Tunnel could've taken -- The VCD Drawer. Alas! I found a small horizontal opening at the top-left of the drawer that lead to the Glass Cabinet. True enough, the beam of my torchlight caught the frantic, daft creature. Where exactly was Tunnel? Simple. He got himself trapped in a Glass Jug. The rim was too high for his frantic attempts to jump out. Sigh.

This is ironic. Hamsters getting themselves trapped even though they contemplated the escape? (Or maybe it wasn’t even premeditated) And all the while we were searching around the whole house! OH MY GOD. I've to admit, it was a waste of time and efforts. My whole body was sweating profusely by the time I 'rescued' naughty Tunnel. Well, "A wrong step can even fell an elephant". Who knows how he ended up in the Glass Jug?

"He who does not reflect is a ruined man". Tunnel, I hope you've learnt your lesson. Please don't vanish from your cage out of the blue. And don't even harbor the thought of embarking on a voyage to the harsh, brutal Universe! You would die if you aren't fully equipped with the knowledge on Survival in the Wild. Natural instincts are still not sufficient, my boy… I could turn you loose in an enclosed area next time, if you want to.

Oh, that seems impossible. Hamsters are really vibrant and they just love to explore. They would do anything to escape from their playground. They are really inquisitive, and are like a miniature raging ball of fur!

Written by Autumn in May 2004