Lost the hamster

[Barryanne]

I've just been woken up by my 6 year old son who has informed me that his hamster isn't in the cage. What the hell am I supposed to do now? There's a million places this hamster could be and I haven't a clue where to start looking or when it went missing. I'm also absolutely exhausted and not in the mood for a hamster search right now. I can't believe I'm asking this at 11pm but does anyone who has ever lost a hamster have any advice? Or even if you haven't lost a hamster help would be very much appreciated. If you were a hamster where would you hide?

[dubyalass]

Oh god they are absolute buggers for escaping. First off is it definitely not in the cage, not just well hidden?

We used to use the large jar balanced on a pile of books with food at the bottom of the jar trick and it worked - do a search for hamster bucket trap.

[nocoolnamesleft]

It's an odd thing for a 6 year old to notice at 11pm. Do you think he was playing with hamster and it got away? Because that might give you a starting point.

[dubyalass]

Bucket trap like this:

[Barryanne]

@dubyalass the hamster is definitely not in the cage, the bucket trap sounds like a good plan - thank you

@nocoolnamesleft I know, I'm not sure why he's awake but according to him he couldn't sleep and was coming to get me anyway and on the way to my room noticed our hamster is not where it should be.

[dubyalass]

Good luck!

[RightYesButNo]

I really think @nocoolnamesleft has cracked this mystery. You need to ask the six year old a few more questions and if he was holding the hamster, you may find it has just run under the closest piece of furniture to wherever they were.

[rorosemary]

Can the hamster climb back into its cage? Otherwise make something that it can. One of mine once escaped and went back in the early morning. Also, check any couches or soft cgairs. They like making holes just out of sight and burrowing in them.

[Stompythedinosaur]

Block the door of the room the cage is in by stuffing a blanket in the crack and search carefully, hiding place by hiding place. While searching listen out for hamster noises.

Failing that the bucket trap is good, particularly with peanut butter at the bottom. Leave the open cage on the floor too.

[Gancanny]

Leave the open cage on the floor with the food bowl in prominent position, add something nice smelling like peanut butter if you want to, and you'll more than likely find him back in it by morning.

[Munkeyface]

Our robo hamster disappeared for 4 days out of his cage in my daughters bedroom. Multiple traps set with no sign.

On the evening of day 4 he casually strolled into the playroom downstairs.
To this day we have no idea how he made it downstairs or where he had been!!

[SingleHandSue]

Me and DH has a hamster when we first moved in together. One day he managed to escape, we found him the next day buried inside our sofa. We had to cut the bottom open to get him out.

Little shit he was but lived to a ripe old age for a hamster.

[avamiah]

I’m sure he/she will turn up soon.

[Quincejam]

I borrowed my sisters terrier (on a lead) and he soon sniffed ours out - behind a cabinet

[Willowkins]

This is normal for a hamster. One of mine went into the space behind the walls. Finally came back 4 nights later (following a trail of hamster choc drops).

[JumpingJamboree]

Good luck. We had one that escaped and eventually turned up 2 years later, eating dog biscuits out of their bowl and missing an eye same hamster escaped again a few months later but that jaunt only lasted 2 days before he was recaptured.
I actually felt awful when we caught him after the two years as he was so used to being free and really wasn't happy to be back in the cage so he used to spend a lot of his time running around the supposedly 'hamster secure' kitchen in an attempt to keep him happy but he still managed to escape a second time.

[Barryanne]

Thanks for the advice everyone!
We've still not found the hamster but I think you were right about DS playing with her late at night because he seems certain that she isn't in his room and went downstairs. I'm going to continue the search after I've dropped him off at school.

[RainbowRaine]

Unfortunately the best time to find them is night time. We found ours by everyone being quiet while I sat at the top of the stairs reading a book until I heard the scratching noise, I went and followed the scratching noise until I found the hamster behind a chest of drawers, ripping up the carpet making its self a nest.

[MrsT1405]

My dexh and I woke up one night hearing scratches in the bath. It was our hamster. Out of the cage in the kitchen, up a flight of stairs passed 2 cats and into the bath! Little bugger. Seriously they like soft places or the warmth of a compressor behind the fridge. Good luck!

[Fifthtimelucky]

One Christmas Eve about 50 years my father was putting the finishing touches to the hamster cage he was making when he discovered that my sister's Christmas present had escaped from its box and was somewhere in his very over-crowded workshop.

He discovered in the early hours of Christmas morning that hamsters were attracted to the smell of beer so fortunately was able to trap it and present my sister with her new hamster in its cage a few hours later!

[Deathraystare]

I was absolutely amazed when one of mine broke out of its cage atop the piano in the dining room and raced upstairs (presumably either the cat did not see it or the cat decided not to get in the way of such a determined little madam!) and was in my bedroom making a nest out of the drawing paper in my bedside table!

Another one got out and under the stairs under the floor boards and found some apples in storage. I bet they were cidery! Dad found it eventually! Probably had a bit of a sore head.

[Deathraystare]

One time we left the cage out with food in it to see if they would return. They did from behind the fire place!

[WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants]

Don't give up, the van take days/weeks to get back. My friends was missing 6 months & just turned up one day.

They found, over time, she was surviving mostly on carpet!!! Lots of nibbled patches.

She just turned up sitting in her daughters bed one day!! 🐹

[Jjou]

Years ago one of our hamsters crawled into the hole at the front of my dad’s hifi speaker, pulled all of the padding inside around herself and made a nest.
Another crawled under the gas fire (fortunately not lit!) and came out all black and sooty.
Most just scurried under sofas/behind bookcases and could be enticed out with yogurt drop treats or fresh veg. They are little sods.

[Alwayssleepy1234]

We had loads of hamsters when we were younger. We discovered that the baby Syrian hamsters are able to squeeze through the bars so we had to make sure they were a bit bigger. When they did get out they were usually near something fabric like the curtains or sofa as they could chew on something. Most likely you'll hear them when it gets dark but they'll be sleeping during the day. I'd check in corners and under furniture with a long handle brush or mop as it should encourage them to come out. Good luck!

[CtrlU]

When my hamster used to go missing - he would always run in my walk in wardrobe and hide or he would hide in the airing cupboard


Put out a few spinach / lettuce leaves and if his like my hamster - he will come running out very soon