HELP! Hamster in the wall!

[disneycrew]

Last night my cheeky Syrian hamster, Dumbo, managed to escape from his ball..
All the way into the bathroom and into the hole behind the toilet.
I spent all night listening to him running around in the walls and on the ceiling!

I've made numerous bucket traps around the flat and used peanut butter, cheese, apple, cucumber and hamster chocolate drops to try to lure him out, but so far he isn't interested!

No food was touched last night, and I am hoping he's sleeping somewhere now, but anything else I can do?!
I hate waiting! I'm so worried about him!

Is there a likely chance he's still alive, or will a night in a wall/ceiling be too dangerous?

He's a rather large hamster with a big appetite so I'm hoping he'll be okay until/if he come out for food!
Help please

[souffle]

Do you know anyone with a female hamster you can borrow? I have found this to be very good way of catching a male as they cannot resist coming out a courting. Even getting some bedding from a ladies cage may tempt him out. Make a ladder by pushing some fabric or rope down the hole if you think there is a drop so he can climb up it. You need to sit and wait for him to come out. If you hear noises but he does not appear then drop some cucumber in for fluid. He should be OK for a couple of days without food but they can travel quite a way in walls so he may appear in a neighbours. It may be worth putting a few posters out?

[disneycrew]

I have a female dwarf, so I have put some of her bedding near the entrance of the hole and will maybe move her cage into the area.
I don't think there's a drop, because he climbed upwards onto the ceiling in the night.

Hopefully he'll be waking up soon and I'll have more of an idea where about's he is, now!

Thank you for your advice Souffle!

[Rads]

Forrest our previous incumbent did a similar thing he spent two days and nights under the floor in the walls etc when he escaped I finally nabbed him by knocking out an air brick and tempting him out with nibbles .

[souffle]

a dwarf won't work DC - it is a different species to a syrian so he won't be interested in her. It must be a female syrian hamster

[Wisper]

I can't add much to what the others have said apart from to keep trying and possibly getting a live rat trap and trying that. Ive known people who have had hamsters turn up weeks later after escaping.

All the best for finding Dumbo.

[Pebbles82]

Hi. Sorry to hear about the escape. He will probably be ok - but getting him out might be tricky. Someone suggested leaving the wheel out near the entrance hole, with some food in once. The problem is he may not be able to get back to the same hole. You might have to listen for him and cut a piece of drywall out or something. On the other hand he might be tempted back to the same entrance hole by food. He's more likely to be tempted tonight during his active phase and when he's foraging and hungry. Could you make his cage into a kind of bucket trap? Does it have a door on top? So set up the books/magazine steps near the entrance hole, with food on, and leading up to the top of his cage, with the door open and nothing to drop on except a big pile of substrate. This worked for someone recently. They sometimes like to go back to the familiar smelling cage.

[Cinnamon Bear]

You might have to buy a female hammie soon. If all other measures fail. Then they might cause you to have babies on the way

Hoping he comes back soon, must be stressful

I might stay up all night with dim lighting & wait for him, wishing the best for you

[souffle]

You don't let the female loose CB. She should be in the cage and they usually come out to investigate. Once he is sniffing round her cage then throw a net or soft towel over him. You may need to stay up late to watch over him. If you put some cornflour round the hole that he went down when he escaped you will see if he has been there as they leave footprints.
Live traps can work sometimes as long as you put really smelly food in there.

[Cinnamon Bear]

I had a good laugh, not that this is funny