Help - Hamster escaped from cage during the night

[BridgetJonesPants]

Hoping someone can give good advice.

Our Syrian hamster escaped from her cage last night (door left open by DD aged 8 who's now devistated) and we didn't notice she was missing until earlier this evening. We've had a good look for her under/behind furniture etc but can't find her. I've also left out food such as carrots, chocolate, cheese etc in the hope she smells it and we spot her. Thankfully we don't have any other pets and I don't think there's anyway she could have gotten out of our house. (There is a gap between the floorboards and the skirting in the lounge, but it's not any bigger than the space between the bars in her cage so I'm guessing she wouldn't get underneath the floors). All other floors are carpeted so no gaps or holes.

Anyone got any other ideas on how we might get her back, and what's the chances of us getting her back safe, especially when it's absolutely freezing here.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[droitwichmummy]

She's probably having an adventure! How about setting a hamster trap? Try standing a plastic tub that she won't be able to climb out of in the middle of the floor with a ramp for her to get in (but not out) and put some apple or cucumber inside. Hopefully she will smell the food, climb up the ramp, jump down to eat and get stuck.
Good luck!

[droitwichmummy]

Great minds!

[BridgetJonesPants]

Hi, thanks for your ideas but thankfully our little hamster was found at midnight last night . DP heard scraping noise behind boarded up fireplace in spare room & managed to dislodge it without crushing hamster. A very dusty & smelly hamster then came out.

Goodness knows how it got behind the fireplace, I obviously do have holes in skirtings/floorboards that I wasn't aware of (hate the idea of what else could be lurking around between walls & floorboards) .

DD was absolutely delighted when she woke up this morning to find her little hamster back in her wee house where she belongs. And I'm just grateful we can have a really happy Christmas with our little furry friend!

PS - hope DD has learned lesson to make sure doors on cage are always locked as not so sure we'd be so lucky next time!

[Floralnomad]

So glad you found her , I think it's more horrible losing them than actually finding them deceased as its the not knowing . A few years ago we had a rat escape and my DD was devastated ,I eventually found her in a drawer in the kitchen and I phoned the school for them to tell my DD so that she wouldn't worry all day . I think the secretary thought I was bonkers!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

how are you starting that conversation then?
"Oh Hello, Main street School.
Could you pass on a message to my DD LittleNomad, that the Floral Rat has been found safe and sound. In a kitchen drawer"

"Okkkkkaaaaaaaaaaaaayy" - School Secretary backs away from the phone, thinking What the Jeff "Rats in drawers "

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Oh and Happy Returns Bridgets hamster. She'll be thirsty and hungry after her frolics

[proofreader]

sorry to tell you that happened to ours and he ingested rat poison...

[Floralnomad]

That's roughly how it went !

[kiwigirl42]

Our little hamster escaped a few times and was found once fast asleep in a big bag of combed wool I'd bought to spin! He was a very happy little chap so we put some in his bed for him. I adore hamsters

[droitwichmummy]

so pleased you found him

[SantaKissedBonkeyMollocks]

Our hammy escaped once - I found him curled up snoozing in ds's bottom clothes draw. :)

Clothes had some suspiscous looking holes in though

[TheSilveryTinsellyPussycat]

DM once heard scrabbling in the kitchen bin, looked in and found a hamster. Twas next door's little escapee :)

So glad yours turned up.

[pinkhousesarebest]

I am a primary school teacher and we used to have a school hamster. She escaped before the Christmas holidays one year, and, despite a massive search, was never found. Roll on almost three weeks, and I take out my guitar case to teach the children a song, and discover the hamster in residence. She had eaten through the case, all the strings, and transported her hay etc from her cage to kit out her new home.

She was raging when we put her back. Still makes me laugh.

[maybeyoushoulddrive]

pinkhousesarebest that's really made me laugh

Our hammy has escaped a couple of times. Both times we found him curled up in the bottom drawer of the bedside table, he'd made a little nest from tissues/bedding from his cage and was outraged to be woken up!

Unfortunately, roll forward a few months - we decided to buy new bedside table, pulled it out and discovered an enormous chewed hole in the carpet underneath Boy they can chew fast