Help Finding Hamster on the Loose

[dhmachura]

I have a 4 month old female hamster. Unfortunately, my daughter left the top of the cage open and she got loose. What is the best way to find her? I know they are nocturnal and I have a 1200 sq. ft. condo. Where do they like to hide? Thanks for any advice.

[Sparkles mummy]

Maybe try putting a few things she is familiar with out and see if she comes to them or her fav food or treat as she will eventually get hungry and go looking for food, also try looking under things such as sofas that she may be able to go under

[leedsgurl]

Perhaps this article may be of help:
http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/showwiki.php?title=How+to+capture+an+escaped+hamst er

Fingers crossed you manage to find her!

[caro317]

I find laying out some peanut butter on the floor works a treat! :)

[WendyAnne]

I know that hamsters are not exactly guinea pigs, but when my daughter took one of our piggies out of the cage 'to play with her' and forgot (!!!) to put her back, we followed the little poops and found her hiding out under the family room sofa. You might try putting some treats around; hopefully she will come out for one and at least then you may get some idea of where to look for her. Good luck!

[The Hamster's family]

I know that hamsters are not exactly guinea pigs, but when my daughter took one of our piggies out of the cage 'to play with her' and forgot (!!!) to put her back, we followed the little poops and found her hiding out under the family room sofa. You might try putting some treats around; hopefully she will come out for one and at least then you may get some idea of where to look for her. Good luck!

If you do this, make sure to close the doors so when you see, for exemple, that you did put 5 sunflower seeds and one is missing in the bathroom (for exemple) you know where to focus your search !

[caro317]

Any joy finding the cheeky minx? :)

[dhmachura]

Thank you everyone. After launching a methodical "hamster hunt" with a flashlight through closets, shoes, etc. I was in my daughter's bathroom, threw a tissue in the trash, and there she was. The interesting part is that the trashcan is 1.3 ft. high and smooth on all sides. Either she leapt in or crawled up onto the toilet seat and jumped. They are quite amazing little guys and never cease to entertain me.

[Winterwhitelilo]

Glad he was found! I bet he had a fun time exploring though xD

[ElliotHamsterHeart]

Hehe funny little things hamsters :)

[WendyAnne]

So glad you found her & that she is fine after her adventure!

[caro317]

Glad to hear it :)

[Winterwhitelilo]

Good to hear that she has been found :)

[HollyHamster]

Haha!! It sounds quite ironic that she wound up in the trash, considering that she is anything but that. I am glad you didn't empty it without checking, and accidentally "throw" her away. That's just too horrible to think about.

It should be a good practice to always make sure that the cage is secure when she is not out and about somewhere else.

[DrKMcK]

Hammies never fail to amaze me. For an animal that is basically a ground dweller, not known to be good climbers, they manage to get in pails like yours, climb up or down inside walls, are found in their owners beds or on a desk or just amble out into the open after being lost for a month. Go figure! I agree with HollyHamster, Thank God you didn't throw her out with the garbage. Glad she's home where she belongs :-D