Rodent questions ...?

[AmberLee]

Hi all.

I believe someone's pet rodent has escaped and taken up residence on my patio. He/she has been getting bolder about being seen -- roughly 2 inches from snout to rump and about one inch of tail. It is mainly white with honey/tan spots. I don't think it's a hamster -- tail's too long; but isn't the tail's too short for a gerbil or a mouse?

I hate to think of a neighbor's pet being in danger/loose. (Several neighbors let their cats and/or dogs roam free in the complex.) Couldn't find a live trap for a critter this size so I got a beginner's small animal cage and set it up with goodies to entice the critter in. (Uh, it's a long shot that this will work. While I was getting scissors to open one of the food sacks, Cassy inserted himself into the cage (really TIGHT fit) so my guess is that it smells of human AND cat now...) No, not sure why, guess it's just a cat thing.

Any guesses as to what the critter frolicking in my jade plant and amaryllis is? Any suggestions to better entice it into the cage? Once it's safe I plan to post Found Pet signs, but it seems premature while it's running free...

Confused,
Amber

P.S. It seems to be someone's pet -- it delights in looking in the sliding glass door and watching us and sometimes teasing the cats. They ELABORATELY ignore the scampering critter. Still I'm too nervous about going outside and picking it up... Sheesh.

[zippy-kat]

Wow! A mystery kritter!

I can't think of anything right off hand that fits that description! With the description of the tail--I'm tempted to say rabbit but only 2 inches in length? Way too small!

Can you snap a pic? I'd like to see him!

[zippy-kat]

Your post just reminded me of an experience I once had:

One cold windy night, I heard something at our front door. We have a glass door and then a wooden door--the wooden door was shut but I peeked out the window. Nothing there. So I --s l o w l y-- opened the wooden door. Still nothing there. Opened the glass door to peek around the corner of the porch--just happened to look down as something walked into the house!

It startled me and I screamed--Mom and Dad came running! Mom says "OH look Neal, a guniea pig!" And went to pick him up. She had him in her hands when dad said, "Betty, Guniea pigs don't have tails!" Then MOM screamed and dropped the kritter (he wasn't hurt...he was just a few inches above the floor).

Eventually our guest was wrapped up in the door mat and ushered outside.

Turns out it was a gopher. A friend of ours says that gopher's scratching to get in is a common occurence at his house--esp. on cold nights. Guess gopher's get lonely and cold too! lol

[purrley]

Amberlee
Have you thought of trapping it with one of those traps where the animal can get in but not out?

[AmberLee]

I tried to get a live trap, but the smallest available had mesh that appears to be too big for a critter roughly 2 inches long. He (she/it...) is just a little bigger around than a ... hmm, between a nickel and a quarter? I think it could get through a pretty fine mesh.

Perplexed (and cowardly when it comes to rodents)
A.L.

[ November 28, 2001: Message edited by: AmberLee ]

[wolflady]

Woa! I missed this one! Now I'm curious...what IS that mystery creature??!! LOL LOL Need some help, or backup support?? LOL LOL Have you been able to get near it? One time when I (illegally) had mice in my dorm room in college, I came back to my room only to find they had all escaped! I had 3! I was so scared that they would get out of my room and scare the people in the dorms! Of course if the mystery rodents were traced back to me, then I would have been in BIG trouble. Anyway, I blocked the bottom of my door with a towel that night and turned their glass tank on it's side and put a bunch of food and treats in there. When I heard some scrabbling noises, I looked and lo and behold they had gone back into the tank to retrieve the snacks, so I tipped the tank back upright...and wha-la...I had my mice back again!! LOL LOL I suppose in a situation like the one you're in, if this critter isn't too scared of people and you notice it outside again...go out there with some rodent food, seeds, or treats and something to trap it with (maybe a large plastic bowl or something, and a very thin but sturdy piece of cardboard). If you can get out there and give it some kibble close enough to you, you can quickly put the bowl over it, then slip the cardboard under the bowl to the critter is concealed and you can move it into a more appropriate place. That probably didn't make any sense just now! LOL LOL Anyway, let me know if you need any help! LOL LOL Keep us posted

[ November 29, 2001: Message edited by: Marius's Mom ]

[Logan]

Karen, what you did was almost as bad as my roommate bringing home a baby duck to live in our dorm!!!! That was short lived because it smelled horrible and we knew we would get caught! She released the baby when it got big enough, and hopefully it lived out its life in a big pond with lots of other ducks.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Pets in dorms could probably be its own thread but...one summer and this was in Tucson Arizona -- my roommate saved a white rat from a lab. A large white rat. His name was Sam. He liked Oreos. It wasn't a problem until she feel "in love" didn't come back to the room for days at a time.

A large white rat needs his cage cleaned REGULARLY -- especially in that kind of summer heat (dorms were swamp cooled not air conditioned.)

I was not amused -- between the smell of everything in the room and the resulting increase in the chance of getting "caught" with an animal in the dorm.

Funny -- I don't remember how the story ended. It was a few (alright quite a few) years ago

[AmberLee]

Thanks for the ideas! A co-worker just showed me a mouse sized humane trap, so they do exist. Haven't seen the little guy recently and it's been bitterly cold here.

Will keep you informed as events warrant.

[zippy-kat]

<STRONG>Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary:
[QB]my roommate saved a white rat from a lab. </STRONG>

Zippy once stole a gerbil from her high-skewl biology lab. Tucker lived in my closet until Mom found him. I then endured a "wait till your dad gets home lecture." But lil' Tucker gerbil found himself in Pop's good graces and lived the rest of his (all too short) life in my room.

[AmberLee]

The co-worker with the humane live trap has loaned it to me for the weekend. Wish me (and the rodent) luck!

"Eeewwww!" in anticipation...

[Buddy2101]

Good luck you two, hope it all works out!

[AmberLee]

Status update: No progress. Critter hasn't been sighted in over two weeks. Maybe it made it's way home???