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Original poster

I've lost the hamster

106 replies

Huifen · 24/07/2024 21:45

DS got a fairly new hamster, loves it of course. Long story but he managed to get out and has disappeared in a tiny hole next to the toilet in DDs en-suite upstairs. Everyone is devastated of course, I could hear a bit of scrabbling in the floorboards when I was downstairs but it's stopped. Have laid some treats, food and a home made humane trap in the bathroom in the hope thy he will reappear. Have I got any hope at all here? This was only about an hour ago - could he come back or can they not find their way out? Any other tips for finding an escapee? So gutted about this

OP posts:
Relaxandunwind · 25/07/2024 00:13

This reminds me of the time our teeny tiny Roborowski hamster escaped from his cage in the living room. DS was up raiding the fridge after midnight when he heard a noise, turned round and saw Tiny running into the kitchen junk cupboard.
The whole household was woken to help catch him. We had to turn out the odds and sods from the cupboard and eventually caught him after a couple of hours. Luckily was during school holidays and nobody was working the next day as our adrenaline levels were running high.
And the cupboard got a much needed clear out 🤣

Hope you catch him, OP !

bluemoons3 · 25/07/2024 00:15

This thread has made my night 😂 so glad you found him, I bet he's had a great adventure but will be happy to be back in his cosy bed! Update us tomorrow with your little one's reaction! Xx

Floralnomad · 25/07/2024 00:18

Well done @Huifen

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Other pets & animals
Relaxandunwind · 25/07/2024 00:27

Just read your update. Well done 👏🏻

SadUselessMum · 25/07/2024 00:31

Put the top of his cage on the floor with the door open onto the floor so it’s not a very steep ramp for him to climb up. Put his food and his usual bed/bedding in there. This happened to me and he was back in his bed by morning!!

SadUselessMum · 25/07/2024 00:32

Oh sorry!! Just read the update!! Yay!

Original poster
Huifen · 25/07/2024 06:55

DS is soooo happy. He cried little happy tears. The hamster was his 9th birthday present last week and he adores him. I'm quite tired from last night's escapades as is DD who woke up for the big rescue operation 😅😅. Got a feeling this little guy is going to keep us on our toes. Thanks again mumsnet

OP posts:
Lentilweaver · 25/07/2024 06:57

Awww..... what a lovely thread. I so want a hamster now.

RivkaTheBold · 25/07/2024 07:02

He'll do it again. Keep the peanut butter stocked up. They're little Houdinis.

Lentilweaver · 25/07/2024 07:03

I'd just change his name to Harry right now.

Original poster
Huifen · 25/07/2024 07:07

RivkaTheBold · 25/07/2024 07:02

He'll do it again. Keep the peanut butter stocked up. They're little Houdinis.

Yes I'm getting the vibe that this wasn't his last adventure...he seems pretty pleased with himself. The chase was worth it though - I'm quite attached to the little rascal (having never had a pet in my life!)

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 25/07/2024 07:42

RivkaTheBold · 25/07/2024 07:02

He'll do it again. Keep the peanut butter stocked up. They're little Houdinis.

Ds first hamster chewed his way out of his cage - and he was nicknamed Houdini from that day forth 😂

Motherofacertainage · 25/07/2024 07:55

Could have been a lot worse: https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/19/hamster-that-woman-bought-for-her-children-escapes-from-box-and-destroys-her-new-car-7858235/. I wish I could find the original Facebook thread of this story because it was hilarious. We had hamsters as children and they always escaped, often below the floorboards, and we always caught them in humane traps using food. Good luck with your hamster adventures xx

Hamster that woman bought for her children escapes from box and destroys her car

The tiny pet has caused 'thousands of pounds' worth of damage and is STILL lost inside the vehicle.

https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/19/hamster-that-woman-bought-for-her-children-escapes-from-box-and-destroys-her-new-car-7858235

Butwhybecause · 25/07/2024 07:58

Lentilweaver · 25/07/2024 07:03

I'd just change his name to Harry right now.

Yes!

So glad he's back although our Harriet Houdini could manage to open her cage.
They tend to wake up and whiz around their wheels when everyone else is asleep.

Original poster
Huifen · 25/07/2024 07:59

Motherofacertainage · 25/07/2024 07:55

Could have been a lot worse: https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/19/hamster-that-woman-bought-for-her-children-escapes-from-box-and-destroys-her-new-car-7858235/. I wish I could find the original Facebook thread of this story because it was hilarious. We had hamsters as children and they always escaped, often below the floorboards, and we always caught them in humane traps using food. Good luck with your hamster adventures xx

😳 wow. My adventure pales in comparison !!

OP posts:
rightoguvnor · 25/07/2024 09:57

I love a happy ending
Our Biggles was once 3 days under the floorboards and dined on his adventure stories for about two years afterwards.

FluDog · 25/07/2024 13:14

Sisterdeloris · 25/07/2024 00:09

You would have smelt it long before you found it. The rotting carcass of even a dying mouse is a heinous smell.

Show quote history

It hadn't been dead long, I know because I had to dispose of it! It must have lived a while just sharing the house with us.

TheFifthTellytubby · 26/07/2024 11:12

itsgettingweird · 25/07/2024 07:42

Ds first hamster chewed his way out of his cage - and he was nicknamed Houdini from that day forth 😂

Show quote history

One of ours chewed an almost perfect circle in her plastic cage, reminding us of the hole made by the robbers in the Hatton Garden raid... 😂Another really smart one worked out how to unscrew a plastic door fastening in his cage using his jaws - he loved to climb the stairs in the middle of the night to look for our DD, his owner. He was white like the OPs and gave us quite a shock when he appeared in our room in the middle of the night! 😂They really are quite intelligent little creatures.

I've lost the hamster
TheBerry · 29/07/2024 12:45

Definitely hope.

My hamster went missing for almost four days.

We could hear him scrabbling around sporadically in the floor boards.

Eventually I did manage to catch him with treats and a trap.

He was none the worse for wear! 🙂

Borborygmus · 29/07/2024 13:19

My MIL once found a small hamster wandering around her house. Goodness knows where it came from! None of her neighbours had lost one.

Cherrysoup · 29/07/2024 13:24

Top tip, if it happens again, put his cage in the room he’s escaped into/under, they like their beds. Mine was a terror for exploring. I once lost an entire litter of babies when I went to change their bedding/clean the cage. They were big enough to be independent, never saw them again, I was an idiot child.

CaptainMyCaptain · 29/07/2024 13:41

I used to use an old fashioned sweet jar propped up on something with food at the bottom. Hammy could get in for the food but not get back up the slippery sides of the jar. You probably can't get hold of the jars now but something similar would work. It never failed for me.

Winter41 · 29/07/2024 13:41

I have put extra locks on our hamster cage as I heard they can be pretty good escapologists.

ChildlessCatLadiesRuleOK · 29/07/2024 13:57

All hamsters are escape artists. He will probably come home when he gets hungry.