Hamster Trap

Lydia got a hamster a couple of weeks ago. It was a guilt hamster. Andy and I were talking about splitting up (in Hungarian, so she didn't understand, but she probably knew something was going on). She chose that day to whine (once again) about a hamster. So we all went to the petstore (against my better judgment, but I didn't voice it) and got a cage and a whole bunch of tubes and funky houses (a luxury condo, really) for this hamster. Then Lydia picked this adorable little critter, grey and white, a girl. A teddy bear hamster, which just means she is fluffier then a regular one. 10 dollars for the actual animal, over a hundred (!!!!) for the STUPID cage and tubes, food and treats, but I didn't want to argue with him. We got home and the two of them had a great time putting the cage together while I babysat the hamster (which wasn't a huge chore; the thing was sleeping in the box). Then I put the pine shavings and the bedding (hamster fluff) into the cage and put her into her new home. Then Lydia spent a long time trying to find a name and after consulting the baby names webpages on the internet, we named her Tessa.
Now, I always had hamsters growing up, so I didn't mind at all that we had a new pet (in addition to the two cats and the fish, which are really just the cats' tv). It was decided that the cage will be in my room (Lydia said she won't be able to sleep with the hamster up all night, and it had to be in a lockable room so we can close the door and keep the cats out (who, btw were very, VERY interested in the new smell and all the activity). So late evenings, after Lydia went to bed, I had a fun time watching the little critter move things around, stuff her pouch with food and move it here and there. Busy little things, hamsters. She was either running in her wheel, chewing on her cage or rearranging her living quarters, making a sleeping, food storage and lavatory space for herself. Of course, additional snack food had to be in the sleeping quarters - a girl after my own heart.
Tessa went through several names (each time Lydia talked to another friend of hers, the hamster would get renamed - we had Tinkerbell, Nibbles, Hamster-Pie, Cutie, Hammie).
Well, last night Andy came home late and he was trying to fall asleep... and all he heard was the hamster chewing on her cage (even through two closed doors!!!!). I couldn't hear a thing, I had earplugs in, plus I snore loudly enough to drown out any other noise ANYWHERE. So he came into my room (I didn't even stir), took the cage out and took it down to the basement (into his workshop, which is closed to wives, kids and most importantly, cats). He took the tubes off and left them upstairs and although he used the little round plug to close the opening where the tubes attached, it must not have been tight enough... He left me a note saying the RAT is down in the basement. I found the note in the morning when I got up and went downstairs to check, and sure enough, there was the cage... but NO HAMSTER!!!!! SHIT!!!!!!
Thankfully, our mornings are a fast blur, so Lydia didn't have time to check on Hammie Pie or whatever her name is right now, and went off to school without a glitch. I called Andy later in the morning to ask him where he thinks the hamster is (if he at least knew if it actually made it down to the basement, or if it fell out somewhere on route, in which case the hamster is SOL and the cats will find him... He said he was sure it made it to the workshop.
So this evening, the awful task of telling my little girl about the runaway hamster fell to me. I assured her the hamster was OK, we are just not quite sure where she is... She took it remarkably well, she called her best friend immediately, and the two of them did a quick search down there (with my strict supervision, seeing that it's a workshop with sharp tools, etc.). No hamster.
Now my friend Tracy from work had an excellent idea: to set up a plastic bucket (high, with smooth sides, not climbable), build steps leading up to the top (made more tempting by little morsels of food), and then put a whole bunch of hamster food on the bottom. Ideally, the hamster would follow the trail of yummies up to the bucket, then drop into the bucket and be trapped!!!!!
And now... we wait... the girls keep checking on the trap, so I'm thinking the hamster won't show her furry little face until it's night time and everyone is in bed and it's all quiet. I'm just HOPING there will be a hamster in the bucket by morning! But I know what the hamster's new name will be: Houdini (or, Houdinina, for a girl).