Hamster has got out of his cage and is missing!!!!

MXW

I have cleaned out my son's hamster cage today and have not secured the wheel on properly, I have gone back into my son's bedroom and the wheel has come off and there is no sign of the hamster, I am devastated!! My son has always been made to clean the cage out with me (that was the deal when I allowed him a hamster) and he has done it every time without complaining. As I didn't feel well yesterday and was not up to cleaning the cage, I said that as a one off I would clean the cage myself as I had the day off work...................and now the hamster is missing! I am worried that the cage was on a chest of drawers and that the hamster may have injured itself falling off, it could be anywhere in he house dying!!! I have searched high and low and cannot find it anywhere, I have put some food down but it hasn't touched it. I have got to pick my son up from school soon and will have to tell him, he will be heart broken and it's all my fault! What can I do to find the hamster? Do you think it will be injured?

Thanks

poet123

It is unlikely to be hurt they are quite athlectic....but they do like to squeeze into small spaces,behind beds etc even skirting boards.....could you ring a pet shop and ask for advice or google hamster breeders,this is not the first time this wil have happened,and they may know of a sure fire hamster attractor!!!!

Failing that, call at the pet shop and get another!!!

Good luck

Alikay

It will probably be sleeping now, but listen out for it later this evening. Our hamster got out a couple of times and I was very worried as our mouse-killing cat would've had him, given half a chance! He's unlikely to hurt himself falling a few feet as they're pretty flexible. My sister in law's hamster once disappeared for about a month, but was eventually found in her wardrobe, munching on a shoebox! Just keep windows and doors closed, and switch off the TV and anything else noisy at about 9pm (or whenever your hamster tends to wake up and play) and listen out for him. Oh, and make sure you unplug any electrical items if you've not found him by bedtime, so he doesn't electrocute himself if he chews the cables. When ours escaped once, we woke up to hear him rustling behind a radiator at 3am, having crawled right through the house and up the stairs!

Stay positive rather than let your son get upset at this stage...loads of friends have had the same happen and the hamsters usually turn up unharmed within a couple of days!

newlywed

We had gerbils and they used to escape, crawl in cupboards, up under the sofa (inside it once), up under the old gas fire (which was off). They would always turn up eventually.

One day the gerbil was found chasing our cat round the house and had obviously eaten the cat food due to tiny paw prints.

Keep searching for every tiny gap they may have gone through/got into

poppy_f1

i had a hamster that went missing for 2 weeks, i left food around the areas that were accessible for him little gaps etc and he turned up without a problem

Soubrette

If you can't hear your hamster rustling tonight then put out a bucket propped up on some bricks at a fairly steep angle (more than 45 degrees) - put some more bricks as 'stairs' and put some bedding and some yummy treats in the bottom of the bucket, leave this overnight and he should be in it by the morning.

He's probably not injured, if your cage is on top of a chest of drawers he probably just braced himself between the wall and the chest to get down.

I have to reiterate, make sure the bucket is steep though, it took us two nights to catch our hamster because the first time the bucket was not steep enough

Oh and if you are listening out for him it's best to keep the doors of every room shut so that you can narrow it down.

Good luck

Sou

MXW

Thanks for all your replies...I have calmed down a little now!!! I have contacted the pet shop and they have more or less confirmed what you have all said. I have been advised to put the cage down on the floor and put a trail of strong smelling food into the cage. All I have got to do is tell my son now when I pick him up from school (oh joy!)

Thanks again xx

bcu67

Our hamster has escaped several times - at night you can hear here shuffling around but she is never where the sound comes from.

We put a bucket down with smelly food (tiny bits of fruit) in the bottom and do a stairs of books running up to the bucket with food on each step. During the night the hamster just falls in. In the morning the hamster is sitting there looking slightly unhappy with her pouches filled with food.

It has worked every time!! You have to wait till the night as she will be asleep during the day.

RebekahR

Awwwwwwww! The times we have lost our hamsters!! LOL! That said I have always seen them go.

What breed is he? I would check behind the wardrobe where he fell, behind any chest of drawers (even in them if they are open) sometimes they can get underneath aswell (gulp!)

Listen in every room quietly. Sit on the floor. Other to that close doors behind you so where ever he is hiding he now can't get out of the room he is hiding in. Put down his house with bedding in on the floor, a food bowl in every room if you have one near a wall. He will most likely stay near walls and not come into the centre of the room. Also try toilet rolls with say a peanut each end and 5 sunflower seeds in the middle around 2 walls of each room. Or 1 is enough.

How long is it since you lost him? He maybe in the same room if its not too long. Can he get in a wardrobe? Chances are he has climbed in or behind something and gone to sleep!!

So you may not hear him til later on tonight when he wakes up.

Just keep each door closed that way when food/treats go mising from a tube you know which room he is in if the doors are shut.

Also maybe put down some cucumber. This contains a lot of water so if he is thirsty he will like to eat this.

Good luck and let us know how it goes! And mind your feet walking around!! Especially tonight ;-)

MXW

RebekahR wrote: »

Awwwwwwww! The times we have lost our hamsters!! LOL! That said I have always seen them go.

What breed is he? I would check behind the wardrobe where he fell, behind any chest of drawers (even in them if they are open) sometimes they can get underneath aswell (gulp!)

Listen in every room quietly. Sit on the floor. Other to that close doors behind you so where ever he is hiding he now can't get out of the room he is hiding in. Put down his house with bedding in on the floor, a food bowl in every room if you have one near a wall. He will most likely stay near walls and not come into the centre of the room. Also try toilet rolls with say a peanut each end and 5 sunflower seeds in the middle around 2 walls of each room. Or 1 is enough.

How long is it since you lost him? He maybe in the same room if its not too long. Can he get in a wardrobe? Chances are he has climbed in or behind something and gone to sleep!!

So you may not hear him til later on tonight when he wakes up.

Just keep each door closed that way when food/treats go mising from a tube you know which room he is in if the doors are shut.

Also maybe put down some cucumber. This contains a lot of water so if he is thirsty he will like to eat this.

Good luck and let us know how it goes! And mind your feet walking around!! Especially tonight ;-)

He is a syrian named "Russell", he went missing just over an hour ago. The problem is my son is only 8 so you can imagine what his bedroom is like! Quite frankly it will be a miracle if he comes out at all, there is so much stuff under my son's bed he will be in hamster heaven......Iv'e no doubt that there may be a couple of biscuits dropped down the side of the bed for him to munch on!! My son my think a little more about keeping his bedroom tidy, without me having to constantly nag him. I will show him all the posts giving advice, i'm sure it will put his mind at rest that Russell is not lost forever.

Thanks

kazzymac_2

Our hamster also did the escaping act. We could hear him at night scurrying about beind the fire but could not seem to coax him out. After 2 days he had decided that he was hungry and just appeared in his cage munching quite happily. Phew what a relief I thought as my sons were also small and they were getting upset until I noticed the large hole that he had chewed in my curtains to make a bed with!! LOL