|
|
Post by lanie85 on Apr 20, 2011 15:13:59 GMT
Please help, I really don't know what to do. Martha escaped whilst I was cleaning the cage out and she's ended upunder the floorboards in our kitchen. I've tried enticing her out but she won't come to me. I dont know how she ended up there as she went behind the kitchen units and there must be a gap that she got through but u can't get under the unit to see as they're all fitted. There's a hole in the wall leading down to our cellar and when you shine a torch down it you can see underneath the floorboards and I saw her but she's not in reaching distance and now she's moved to the other side of the room. I can hear her squeaking and she sounds really frightened but I can't get to her. Taking up floorboards is not an option as she'd just run away- she's not tame. I'm so upset. What can I do?
|
|
|
|
Post by Kins on Apr 20, 2011 15:45:47 GMT
Oh, you poor thing.
I know how you feel. My Dave escaped the first day I got him (and his brother Jim) behind our kitchen units. I just had to wait for him to come out. I then blocked the gap up and let him get back in his carry box on his own.
Can you put a box out with some treats in it to try and entice her in to it? Perhaps if you sit in the room with her, very still, and then if/when she comes out and heads for the treats close the box on her?
I'm sure some other people will have some more ideas/suggestions!
|
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Apr 20, 2011 18:23:36 GMT
Hope you can get her out. Could you get set up a humane trap to catch her, or make a bucket trap - these would rely on her coming out by herself though, when you're not around?
Are there any electrics in there, maybe a lighing circuit for the cellar? If so, you need to switch that circuit off at the consumer unit so it's safe if she chews the wires.
|
|
|
|
Post by blossombrooks on Apr 20, 2011 20:30:39 GMT
Hope you get her back safe in her cage soon! I'm not sure what to suggest other than what's been said. Have you tried putting a cardboard tube near when she does appear? She might prefer to crawl into that if she's not at the handling stage.
|
|
|
|
Post by lanie85 on Apr 21, 2011 13:53:21 GMT
I got her I got her I got her!!!!!!! Woohoo. I managed to prise up two floorboards and then I sat for 2 hours and tried to entice her out with a Ginger nut biscuit ( naughty I know but these were exceptional circumstances). When that didn't work I left a mesh ladder leading in the gap and left the room- 10 mins later I spotted her on the ladder, she kept running back under the floor but eventually she came all the way out and I dashed in and covered the gap again. Then had a half hour stand off with her where she wouldn't come out from behind the woodburning stove but eventually after cornering her and shooing her into a glass vase, I had my baby back!! I was so unbelievably relieved. I really thought I was going to have to listen to her squeaking down there every day until she eventually died. Sooooo happy and so is her sister and cage mate, Matilda! I warmed up their snugglepad as a treat last night and left then to cuddle together on it to recover from the ordeal! Yay! X
|
|
|
|
Post by Cherpi on Apr 21, 2011 14:15:47 GMT
Thank god and well done!!
|
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Apr 21, 2011 14:59:21 GMT
I am SOOOO relieved for you!! You were so very patient with your waiting and efforts to get her. I'm very glad she is safe and sound again! I guess you will have a project in the near future of blocking off all access to behind your kitchen cabinets?
|
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Apr 21, 2011 18:35:49 GMT
Brilliant! I love a happy ending  |
|
|
|
Post by blossombrooks on Apr 21, 2011 19:25:52 GMT
Phew! Well done! So glad you got her back safe. :-)
|
|
|
|
Post by lorrainekuk on Apr 21, 2011 21:19:01 GMT
Glad there was a happy ending!Must have been a very stressful few hours for you both! We won't let our goos in the kitchen - I just don't know what is behind the frigde or washing machine!( apart from dust....)
|
|
|
|
Post by lanie85 on Apr 21, 2011 23:38:25 GMT
Thanks guys! I would've been in bits if I hadn't managed to rescue her! They've never been allowed to run round the kitchen, we live in an old house with too many gaps but even so, when she ran in there from the living room, I didn't expect her to squeeze under the cooker and then in turn under the bloomin floor! I really didn't think I'd be comfortable letting them out for a run round today but I braved it and sectioned off the hall and the girls happily had a run round there for an hour whilst the chinchillas had the run of the kitchen. I covered all the gaps first though-chins under the floorboards would be equally as stressful I suspect! X
|
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Apr 22, 2011 2:17:43 GMT
I'm sure it would be . . . if not more so, coming on the heels of the first "thrilling adventure" you could have done without.  |
|
|
|
Post by Bexi87 on Apr 22, 2011 7:25:45 GMT
Well done! Glad she is back safe and sound.
|
|
|
|
Post by hellsbells on Apr 22, 2011 16:57:52 GMT
Fab news! Glad she's safe and well!
|
|
|
|
Post by w8152 on Apr 26, 2011 15:19:31 GMT
i'm really impressed by how calm you were, i'd have been ripping up all the floorboards if it was one i mine (i tend to get a little frantic)...
Glad she is back safe and sound. At least you know exactly where the problem is and have sorted it now hehehe
|
|
