Dramatic rescue for daring pet hamster Poppy
Steph Phillips with her hamster Poppy who escaped her box and chewed her way around her mum's car electrics. Ref mhh 1238-47-14AW Picture: Alex Walton - Credit: Archant
The headstrong rodent wreaked havoc for her new owners
As far as buying a hamster goes, the experience should be a relatively easy one.
But for one Honiton woman, her newly purchased pet - bought on Armistice Day - gave her a day to remember after it launched a daring escape.
Steph Phillips, 22, of Whitebridges, had not had Poppy the hamster for more than 30 minutes when the fluffy rodent chewed her way out of her cardboard container and disappeared into the confines of the car.
“We bought Poppy from Pets at Home in Exeter,” said Steph. “We noticed she was chewing through the box so we used my handbag to cover up the hole.”
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Not one to be beaten, Poppy started to chomp away on the handbag until it was moved.
The plucky hamster then squirmed out of her container - unbeknownst to Steph - and slipped into the car’s interior.
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But the drama did not stop there.
The car had to be taken to Car Maintenance Centre in Honiton, so mechanics could strip the car down to catch Poppy - who had got into some pretty severe trouble of her own.
“Once we got Poppy, we noticed her leg was at a funny angle,” said Steph. “We took her to the vets, who told us that she had an open fracture.” Vets performed emergency surgery on Poppy - and Steph said she is on the road to recovery.
Steph’s dad Adrian, of Millstream Taxis, said the rescue and surgery ended up costing 10 times what they paid for Poppy.
Steph added: “Poppy is still bouncing around her cage. We are so grateful to all who helped.”
