Feel So Terrible

[Kimmysdaydreams]

Hello Everyone 😣

You may or may not remember me from getting my gorgeous Syrian hamster Bow, in April. She has been so fantastic and is just the best Hamster in the World, so unbelievably affectionate.

However, I went in for surgery on Tuesday, was in yesterday, and just got home earlier today. I had put my entire trust in my Mum to make sure Bow had food and water just until I got home. I went into see her, and she has completely vanished. I’m sure people will be quick to jump to blaming my type of cage, leaving my Hamster in someone else’s care, or anything else but let me give you some important details first.

Her cage is the Small Pet Terrarium Kerry, I have watched her on multiple occasions and there is simply NO away she could have escaped even if she was desperately trying to. There is no signs of anything amiss, or any blood from a possible injury.

Although I really shouldn’t have done so, I’ve really hurt myself in the process, I cleaned out her entire cage and have searched the whole room she is kept in. She’s gone. I have even left out food and water for her, whilst keeping the room very dark. No food or water has been touched yet. It’s like she’s completely vanished into thin air, but this just can’t be possible.

I’m so devastated right now, can’t stop crying, I loved my little Bow so very much and to come out of Hospital to find her just... gone? This is too much 💔

[Dalis_mum]

Put some smelly hamster friendly food out. Maybe invest in some humane traps? Did your mum see her whilst you were in hospital? So you could determine a time frame for how long she has been missing? Hamsters are resourceful so all is not lost. As a child I had one escape and was missing for a fortnight.turned up in my mum's slipper, grubby and disheveled from her adventure but wholly none the wiser to the stress and upset she had caused her human slaves.

[Pebbles82]

I am so sorry xxx Do stay calm because you need to look after yourself. Some how or other she has escaped. They can scale water bottles and wheels to get out of the top if the door is open and my memory of the kerry is there is quite a gap under the door anyway. Many many people have recaptured escaped hamsters! You need to set up a bucket trap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkB7nUtQoKM

I haven't seen it done with a plastic bottle like that before. Usually it is a 12" ruler on top of the highest book - partly over the bucket with a tasty treat on the end. Hamster walks along ruler to get treat and topples in.

That is one method. Maybe on the floor near her cage as they can home back to the cage area at night.

Other things you can do is put her wheel out on the floor somewhere with some food in - that might tempt her out from wherever she is. And a little house from her cage with some bedding in - she may just decide to sleep in it.

Some people have found their hamsters curled up on a jumper or on the sofa eg.

[Pebbles82]

It is almost certain she escaped No sign of hamster, blood or anything - she's escaped! They are amazing escape artists. If the lid was open she'd have got out. They will even pile all the bedding up in one corner and climb out that way!

[Wisper]

What's worked for me catching an escaped hammie was using a bucket with some kind of ramp up the outside and putting favourite foods and some of the hamsters bedding in the bucket, they can climb in but not back out again. Best of luck finding Bow so sorry you left hospital to something so stressful. Hopefully she will come back out to you when she gets hungry. I had a hammie on the run for a week once when I was younger and she came back.

[Pebbles82]

Nancy had one living in the walls for a couple of weeks! I am sure she will be hiding somewhere and you'll be able to tempt her out. Fingers crossed you find her in the bucket tomorrow. Use something smelly and tasty on the end of the ruler - cucumber and cheese eg