Hamster gone

ergonomics

Hi all.

Last night I arrived home at about 11pm to discover my hamster, Napoleon was gone. His cage door had been left open (and I KNOW myself and my boyfriend didn't leave it, but that's another story). After searching the house everywhere there was no sign or sound from him.

I'm really distressed. I guess a lot of people won't understand why I am so upset over a hamster but I really loved him. He woke up, happily, at the sound of my voice. He came to the door of the cage and squeaked for me when he knew I was around and he falls asleep on my lap. He sounds more like a dog than a hamster.

When we were looking last night we thought we heard something behind the kitchen cupboards. We tried looking and couldn't hear anything so left out his favourite food and a trap but this morning nothing was touched. We also left a trap in the utility room with food around it but again, not touched. I also left out water which wasn't touched and I haven't seen droppings anywhere. I've been up now for 2 hours but haven't seen or heard anything, but he's probably asleep.

My greatest fear is he got outside. At one point the front and back door were left open but my housemate swears it was only 5 minutes. 5 minutes too long if you ask me. If he's outside he's gone. There are countless cats in our garden as well as birds, and the grass is really long and wet. If he's inside we live in rented accommodation so we can't go ripping up floorboards or smashing walls like in all the stuff I read online.

I just want my hamster back but I don't know what to do.

carwash_2006

I reckon the chances of him having gone outside are small. They don't have very good eyesight and will avoid going into very open spaces if they can at all. He is much more likely to have made for cupboards and floorboards. When I was 9 my hamster escaped and was missing for 3 days before he turned up, so don't give up.

You are less likely to find him during the day as you know. Wait until evening time, sit in a dark room as quietly as you can, if you put down some bait (peanut butter is one of the best) on a plastic bag or something that will rustle when he walks on it.

Good luck.

Susannahmia

Don't give up yet, one hamster I had escaped and was found after three days just casually walking across the living room after we came home from a night out.:D That one we were really starting to give up on as there were no signs that he was taking the food we left out. If you absolutely cannot find them its better to check really late at night as they will be up and about by that time. For what its worth I have had three escapes with two different hamsters and almost always find mine behind the fridge or once in the hot-press.:o I think it was the warmth. Oh and they will always go for a corner over anything else. If you do find him, put him back in the cage and leave him to himself to settle back in for a day or two, the shock of the escape can be very stressful so its better to minimise any extra stress for the first few days for fear of wet tail which is stress induced.

cobweb

might be daft but be carefuk doing washing check pockets on cloothes in case hanster is snuggled up in hamper

ergonomics

Armed with a better torch my boyfriend and I started searching for Napoleon again just now. I knew he'd probably be asleep but I still wanted to try. Instead we have found boxes and boxes of rat poison. I've pretty much given up hope of finding him now.

lubie76

Hi. Don't worry, this happened to me with a hamster a few years ago and he had just got into a gap under the kitchen presses and managed to get under the floorboards from there. We could here him scrabbling about. He turned up again when he got hungry a day or two later.