Geoid Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 When I looked at the title I thought you had a In your house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Now that would make a racket if it was living in your walls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 And very large holes in your skirting boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 I could loan you Biscuit if you wanted a good mouser - he's very tenacious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Weils disease (leptospirosis) can be fatal I know someone who died of this it causes a hepatitis like infection that destroys your liver normally spread by rats but can also be spread by mice urine Wild mice and rats are vermin not pets I also hear of plenty of people who sadly die in car accidents every week, yet I still drive every day I don't kill any animal, wild or not.Wild bird droppings can spread psittacosis which can also be fatal, yet no one would kill wild birds 'just on the off chance they might pass on the disease'... therapins can pass on salmonella which can also be very dangerous especially to children... cats can pass on toxoplasmosis to pregnant women and harm unborn babies... there is always potential of disease and danger everywhere. It's just my own personal choice, I don't kill any living creature... Am not asking anyone else to keep any wild mice as pets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 yet no one would kill wild birds 'just on the off chance they might pass on the disease'... You would be breaking the law if you did. If you'll forgive me for saying so, I think it is far more cruel to keep them in cages than it is to kill them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 That can be... I did wonder about the mice when we first kept them, even though they were in a huge hamster mansion with several rooms and tunnels and so on... Then I stopped wondering... the mice escaped, so I left the door of their cage open... and believe it or not they moved back in!!! I couldn't believe it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 (edited) When our cats bring mice in, I take them back to the wood pile and release them, unless they're already dead. Edited October 23, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 We do that now too, as the cats kept trying to get into the room where the mice were kept, and we thought that wasn't fair on the mice... imagine living in a cage with a miauwing predator a few steps away!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layla Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Just a thought you don't think it could be a squirrel do you ? They are really awful if you get those in your loft! Hugs Layla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 ... imagine living in a cage with a miauwing predator a few steps away!! One of the reasons why I won't let Rosie have a hamster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Oh I know that feeling... one of my girls was asking for a hamster... I thought 'no way'... apart from the hamster having to live amongst constant attempts from predators to get to it, hamsters also have a tendency to escape sometimes... I couldn't bear waiting for the cats to find it... had to explain to my daughter how she'd feel if her hamster went missing with cats in the house... so we got rats instead!!! They're confined to her room in a VERY solid cage and only let out when all possible escape routes are fully blocked... Listening to myself here, I'm starting to understand why my husband thinks I am insane and make my own life such a struggle at times!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Just for the record it is actually illegal to release vermin as classed under the law if you trap them you are supposed to kill them Cats clear Toxo infections after about a week and are then immune washing hands sorts out salmonella from reptiles but a small nick on your skin is enough for weills disease to kill you as i don't think there is any sort of cure Your choice but trust me I know what I am talking about I would fear not only for your health but what about your daughters pet rats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I used to have hammies as a kiddie and they were always escaping we have two very persistent cats, so one wouldn't last long in our house. Besides, they don't do a lot, just look cute and I can see Rosie tiring of cleaning it out! Louise is right - she's not one of those white coat scientists for nothing. My ex was a white water canoeing instructor and had to be very aware of Weils disease - he had a very mild dose once and was very poorly with it. The olympic white water course on the Trent at Notingham is the worst because the water goes through a power plant before it reaches the course - heats the bacteria up nicely If I needed to use traps, I'd definitely get the killing sort - much as I hate killing mice, it's best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 (edited) My nephew was recently devastated. His housemate was looking after his younger sister's hamster whilst the family were on holiday. Nephew came home one day and saw what he thought was a football in the hall. He kicked it hard, it bounced up the stairs and back down again, landing on every one. His friend shrieked with horror..........it was the hamsters exercise ball, with the poor hamster in it. I'm delighted to report that the hamster was no worse for his ordeal, which is more than can be said for my nephew and his friend. With my track record as a hamster murderer I shouldn't laugh. Edited October 24, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Molly pushed Tom our old hamster down the stairs in his ball once. I had a friend round who just happened to ask if he ever came down the stairs while in his ball. Ten minutes later, drinking a cup of tea to the sound of thud thud thud down the stairs Resilient little one was fine, and hang on in for another year after his ordeal - oh and he once went down the side of the sofa, and I nearly squashed him as I got up and the cushion moved I have not had another hamster since A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 One of my hammies loved to be carried around in my pocket - he was so cute all nestled up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 We have a Hamster - the amazing Maisie, but she lives in a gerbil cage which is better for her & more secure than mosot Hamster cages. It consists of a big clear plastic tank bit on the bottom, with 2 layers of wire areas above.The idea is that for Gerbils you fill the bottom bit entirely with sawdust so they can burrow. We quater fill it & Maisie uses the ladder to get up to the upper levels, then does a Lara Croft,dangling by her arms from the roof - very cute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I only have one hamster at the moment and although adorable he is the messiest hamster I have ever owned (I've had about 6 others). I've had to put up a "pee guard" by his bars as the little darling was squirting out of the cage and I didn't like the job of cleaning smelly hamster dribbles from the living room wall He also likes spitting his poos out of his cage.....I wouldn't believe he was doing it apart from I've seen him in action Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 That's a hamster with an attitude!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 have you tried a counselling service with this hamster Sounds like you need to find one A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I used to breed russians (not on purpose to start with) and one of my favourite girls got out of her cage with her babies and couldnt get back in again so made a bed for her babies and climbed two flights of stairs to come and find us. Another gerbil we had lived in a huge rotostack thing (horrible thing- rotostack not gerbil). Anyway the lid came off the top room so he moved all his bedding downstairs. Must have decided his penthouse had got too draughty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 We had one of those rotostack things - horrid aren't they? It was always falling apart and letting the hammies loose. I went back to old fashioned bars instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 We normally kept hamsters in cages and gerbils in tanks but we inherited him complete with rotostack so we kept with it. He chewed most of it to bits in the end but still didn't decided to get out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 have you tried a counselling service with this hamster Sounds like you need to find one A xx I think he needs one Do you think there is a supernanny for hamsters? He also hides the green pellets of food behind his ladder in the hope that we won't see them and we will refill the empty food bowl with more food that he likes! Naughty little thing (but cute!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
