help,max the hamster has scaped!!

[whymummy]

i dont know what to do,how do i get him back?will he chew on cables?will he die somewhere and then ill find maggets everywhere?that`ll be my biggest nightmare,the children are really upset as well,any advice?

My sister's hamster used to escape all the time. We would turn off everything electrical that made a noise and then crawl around on the floor until we heard a scratching noise. We would ususally then see him beneath a sofa or something. We would each cover any possible escape route and then one of us would make a grab. Failing this we would leave some food, especially fresh vegetable near where we could hear the scraping.

Hamsters cannot fight hunger.

Just try to locate the room he is in and then shut the door, then at least you know you will catch him eventually.

Don't be tempted to launch a rescue mission with a hoover...messy

Agree with Pie- listen and coax is the way to go. And don't step on him... one of my friends as a teenager did this to a girl he fancied rotten's hamster and the result was a dead hamster and no date for him ever ever ever.

thanks pie and scummymummy,i will try what you said im thinking that maybe hes gone under the floorboards through the radiators pipes and thatll be a job to get him out

oooooops,i meant the holes on the floorboards for the pipes,i can just imaging you thinking "how on earth did he get inside the radiators?"

I once read a book that said you should leave some food in the bottom of a slightly tipped bucket and have a ramp up to the edge of the bucket. The hamster will smell the food, go in but be unable to climb back up the sides to get back out.

You could also leave the open cage on the floor with some nice food and warm bed inside and he might come home of his own accord. The familiar home smell might lure him back too. Good luck.

PamT's suggestion should work - one thought - check the bins before you put them out, that is a classic hiding place for little rodents!

my hamster was a real escapologist and I agree with pie about getting down on the floor and listening - esp at night time when they come out to play. Ours often ended up under the floorboards and sometimes spent a few nights there - my poor mother had to take them up one by one while we whimpered about poor hammy. One also spent a few days inside the piano and came out very sooty.
I'm pretty sure he'll turn up of his own accord once he gets hungry so don't worry - unless of course you were planning on 'liberating' him to the fields to live a happy hamster existence as my MIL did to her son's hamster once.

thanks everybody for all the sugestions,morocco if he chews my computer cables ill be "liberating" my husband to the fields as it was his idea having a hamster,ill let you know!!thanks again

good news,max is back he just walked passed my legs and i nearly fell of my chair,i shouted at my dh who grabbed him,dropped him and grabed him again and he`s now back in his cage eating cucumber,thanks again!!!

Glad to hear the errant little rodent is back What a horrible shock seeing him just walk past though. Eeek!

you can say that again soupdragon,we had mice this winter and it really freaked me out seeing something move so near my feet

Gosh. I see I that I had advice to offer whymummy on the very situation for which I now myself seek advice. I now understand the trauma at first hand as I can't find Sammy Hammy anywhere... listening and coaxing is not working. I'll have to hope that Sam will follow Max's example and simply reappear, I guess. Unless anyone has any other advice?

I would just do the food trick scummy when you hear scratching like everyone says. I hope sammy comes back. My sisters gerbil got out once and ran 'into' the armchair. We could here it running about inside it. So we tipped the armchair over and undid the bottom stapling to get it out. We then stapled the bottom back up with an office stapler and never told my mum, she would have gone mad the armchair was brand new

when my daughters hamster (gaby rip) escaped, we found her the next morning in a bucket by the back door. the next time she escaped we put the cage down on the floor overnight left open, and she reappeared in there the next morning.

'hear' it I mean!!

Get a humane mouse trap from a pet store or DIY place. The have a little door which shuts behind them when they go to take the bait.

We used to keep russian hansters, which are very small, and when one of those escaped I ended up with a broken bookshelve trying to move furniture around in a panicky search. Not a good idea for the sake of a £3 rodent!

I also used to keep a rat, and I don't know if it would work with hamsters, but he had free run of my flat and would take himself back to hus cage for food or sleep. I had a little ladder goin up to the door. He was so cute.

We did the bucket thing propped up at one end with a couple of thinish books (so the hamster could climb up the books but not back up the slope in the bucket). We put carrot and hamster food in the bottom, left it over night and in the morning there he was sat in the bottom of the bucket.

oh scummy good luck in finding sammy,max did go missing again and he reappeared 6 days later looking very scruffy and skinny

Good luck finding him, Scummy - when my mouse Angus escaped I found him in the airing cupboard. My parents were not impressed as he was a messy little fiend. Hope Sammy turns up safe and well soon.
LOL Fio2 at the armchair sabotage!

Well- Sammy has returned as an adventurous hero... My boys were playing out with the neighbourhood kids when the little boy from downstairs came pelting out to announce that his mum had cornered a mouse behind her tumble dryer! We smelled a hamster... And sure enough the old Samster had somehow shinned down the necessary pipes and was exploring the flat downstairs! He was quickly captured and bought back to his familiar house where he immediately burrowed down among his bedding and fell fast asleep. We're so relieved that the wee fellow is back. Thanks for all your advice and reassurance everyone

Yay! Welcome back, Sammy!

Now tag him. Electronically

brilliant!
glad your neighbour didn't hit him with a broom,he's a very lucky hamster

'Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree....'
I hope you gavce him a good telling off about 'treating this house like a hotel, young hamster!'