Shocked landlord discovers hamster in tenants’ loft

A landlady investigating scratching in her roof discovered a hamster living in the attic.

Sue Warren received a call from the tenants in her flat in St George who had heard noises coming from their loft.

Sue and her husband visited the property to install an access panel to allow pest control to get up there when a large hamster popped out of a hole.

She said: “As we made the hole, a creature poked its head out and my husband jumped. I started screaming.

“On closer inspection, we realised it was actually a very cute hamster. It was a sweet little thing but unfortunately we were unable to keep it as we have dogs.’’

Sue thought she was female and named her Hermione before taking her to Bristol Animal Rescue Centre who identified it was male.

The hamster has since been adopted by Avril Bleaken and her daughter Hollie (16), from South Gloucestershire.

Hollie is an experienced small animal keeper, with two hamsters already in her care, and a further guinea pig on the way.

Hollie has since renamed the hamster ‘Dasher’ in honour of his escapades.

Avril said: “We’ve got other hamsters but we could tell immediately that Dasher was unique – he’s an adventurous little thing.

‘’He has a big cage with lots of activities to keep him occupied, but all he wants to do is explore.’’

Jodie Hayward of Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, said: “Hamsters are inquisitive animals and expert escape artists, so it can be hard to keep them contained.

‘’They can fit into tiny spaces and disappear quickly, so finding them can be tricky. They are nocturnal, so the best time to try and find a lost hamster is at night.”