Escape help!

LolaMcMuffin · 09-06-2013, 05:24 AM

I've had my new little fluff for just about a week now, and Wednesday night she escaped from her bin cage! The problem is, I can't find her anywhere, I can't hear her at all, and I've left bucket traps and food out for the last two nights, and there has been no sign of her at all! I'm getting slightly worried now, the flat I live in is quite small, and I've looked everywhere!
Anyone have any more ideas of how I could try to find her?

Scampi16 · 09-06-2013, 05:31 AM

Have you checked for any signs of her eating any of the food that has been left out?
My chinese escaped and I didn't notice for a couple of days and the doors had been left open so couldn't say for sure he was still in his room. I kept doors shut and set up a couple of bucket traps and also a tube going back into his own cage. Under the tubes, stairs to traps i placed a book with some flour on it so that I could tell if the hamster had walked over the book (give idea he was def in a particular room). I looked at getting some humane traps too, but found him before i got them (you could try these). Put down some strong smelling foods like mealworms, cheese, and some water rich veg like cucumber rather than plain hamster mix, and look for signs of movement / eating food, keeping each room's door shut, when you find any movement/eating of food you will have an idea which room she is in and you can concentrate on that room. Good luck I hope you find her.

LolaMcMuffin · 09-06-2013, 05:38 AM

I've put food down in every room, and none of it has been touched at all! I've tried peanut butter on crackers, fruit and veg, but nothing is tempting her at all! Its like shes just vanished into space!

Scampi16 · 09-06-2013, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LolaMcMuffin

I've put food down in every room, and none of it has been touched at all! I've tried peanut butter on crackers, fruit and veg, but nothing is tempting her at all! Its like shes just vanished into space!

How long was it before you noticed she was missing?
If not straight away has doors / cat flaps etc been open to the outside?
Or is there anyway she may have made it outside any holes that lead out?
I would still keep leaving traps out and check for any signs of disturbance every day, & hopefully you will find some sight of her. My only other thing I can think of is could she be trapped anywhere she can't get back from such as a cavity wall, stuck back of somewhere?

POLAR WHITES · 09-06-2013, 06:27 AM

could you borrow a female from some one and set up a trap next to the females cage, the smell of her being on heat might help

LolaMcMuffin · 09-06-2013, 06:32 AM

She had a 2 hour head start, max! The only route to outside are the windows, which are kept open, the only way to reach them is for her to have climbed the curtains, it's a two storey drop onto a flat roof and there's no sign there. I'm blitzing the flat room by room now, pulling everything out (carefully) just to double check. The only other place I can think of is that she's got behind the washing machine and into the wall where the pipes go. I've pulled that our, and looked, but no sign there either.

POLAR WHITES · 09-06-2013, 06:37 AM

is there any gaps to go under the floor or into the wall, have you looked under the sofa she might be inside there

TinyCath · 09-06-2013, 07:02 AM

Oh no, I lost my hamster earlier this week and got her back yesterday afternoon and I was a mess all the time she was missing

I hope you're not stressing out too much

Not sure what to say in the way of advice as it sounds like you're doing everything you can, just keep each room or area of your flat shut off and keep setting out food and water and makeshift traps, leave the cage open on the floor etc.

One thing I appreciated as I was searching around every inch of my flat is that landlords go to great lengths to really rodent proof their properties. Hopefully the rodent proofing that keeps mice and rats out will be keeping your hamster in and she's still in your flat somewhere, even if she's a wall or under the floor. Keep listening and try not to stress yourself out too much, when a hamster is active and scuffling about you'll definitely hear it and be able to locate her

BrainGirl · 09-06-2013, 07:34 AM

Be sure the check inside the sofa and any other stuffed furniture too. There's often only a thin piece of fabric lightly stapled to the underside and it's easy to get into. Good luck!

caro317 · 09-06-2013, 09:14 AM

Try staying up through the night reading a book or some other quiet activity, that way you might be able to hear him scratching about somewhere? I always recommend peanut butter smeared on the floor / a bit of paper somewhere as this smells quite strongly and they tend to smell it. Good luck, I know it's awful when they go missing