Disappearing hamsters make owners laugh

Dear Heloise: Here's the second installment of funny hamster escape stories. We hope you get a chuckle from them:
UMike Arneson, via e-mail, says: "My daughter's hamster had escaped from its cage, and I searched the house with no success. Finally, I started calling its name as I walked around. To my surprise, Zippety came waddling around the corner and came straight to me. Apparently, the dog had found him first; the hamster was soggy and drenched from being thoroughly licked. He was trembling and seemed grateful to be returned to his cage!"
UAmy McCall, via e-mail, says: "We have a hamster whom we call Houdini, although his real name is Squirt. He had been missing for about three days, and I had finally given up looking for him. My daughter wanted a grilled-cheese sandwich, so I opened the drawer under the stove to get a skillet. All of a sudden, I saw this little fur ball with a pile of food and bedding (he was prepared to stay there awhile). After the initial shock, I yelled for my kids to tell them I'd found Squirt. He had gotten into the chicken-fryer pan, which was too deep for him to get out of. Then, after all the commotion, my daughter looked at me and said, 'Mommy, you aren't going to make my sandwich in that pan, are you?'"
UAshley Fisher, age 14, via e-mail, says: "Our class hamster, Double Stuft, escaped on the last day of school. Everyone was upset, especially me, because I wanted to take him home for the summer. My dad and I went up to school late at night and listened for him. We finally found him in a closed file cabinet. He had evidently hidden there before with the chemistry sets. He had his own little nest, with a tissue for his bed. He had a supply of food, including moldy, stale pretzels, bits of cheese and a chocolate graham cracker. We took him home for the summer, gave him a new cage and put the cage in a large plastic bin for added insurance. He is still trying to find a way to escape!"
They don't call them escape artists for nothing! I'm extremely happy that these tall "tail" stories turned out to have happy endings! Heloise
Dear Readers: Ellyn Fitzpatrick of Hampstead, N.H., sent in a photo of her "poly" cat, Dunlop. She says: "When we got him as a kitten, on his first visit to the vet we were told that he needed to have some of his extra toes removed. He still has a total of 25 toes!" Visit Heloise.com to see Dunlop and a slew of other polydactyl cats. Heloise
Dear Heloise: To brighten up my fish aquarium, I lined the back of the glass with a pretty beach scene from my old calendar. It looks great, and I can change the scene every month. Kathy R., Colorado Springs, Colo.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate