Our hamster escaped from her cage

GatsbyGal

The door to her cage was accidently left open and she high tailed it the night before last night. We listened last night and heard her in the wall of the hot press. My husband has drilled three big holes in the wall to try and get at her but to no avail. I hear her scratching in there and it's breaking my heart that we can't get at her. Is there anything out there that would help her escape herself? How long realistically will she survive without her food and water? I am this close to just getting a sledge hammer and taking down the entire wall. :-(

FortySeven

You might find you get electrical problems. Hamsters love munching cabling. Do not , as I did, grab the dead hamster who still has its teeth buried in an electrical cable. Hopefully this will not happen to you but just be aware it is likely and first impulse is just to grab it. Be very careful feeling around behind walls as it may have chexed through insulation and left cables exposed.

GatsbyGal

FortySeven wrote: »

You might find you get electrical problems. Hamsters love munching cabling. Do not , as I did, grab the dead hamster who still has its teeth buried in an electrical cable. Hopefully this will not happen to you but just be aware it is likely and first impulse is just to grab it. Be very careful feeling around behind walls as it may have chexed through insulation and left cables exposed.

Thanks. I don't think there is any wiring in that particular area but you never know. She is sounding so desperate now that I can almost hear her little cries.

Captain Flaps

She won't last that long without water, if she's in the wall you need to knock out a decent gap for her to be able to escape, then put some water, food and treats in a bowl/saucepan/any container too tall for her to climb out of with a staircase of books leading up to it. Hamster smells food, goes to investigate, climbs in and then can't climb back out, relieved owner collects hamster. Hope you rescue her!

Diane Selwyn

the DSPCA have an emergency number on their website for animals needing immediate assistance maybe give that a try?

GatsbyGal

Thanks again. Cannot get thru to the dspca unfortunately. I'm hoping she hangs in there until my husband gets home and then I think we will just cut one big hole in the wall.

intheclouds

Did you get her?

I would suggest dropping a knotted cord down through a hole in the wall with a bit of smelly food near the top of it, hopefully encourage her to climb up and out to freedom.

volchitsa

Any news? I read this last night and have been thinking about the poor creature since.

Captain Flaps

I'd also like to point out to other readers that the DSPCA hotline is for animals requiring urgent care, abandoned animals etc.

They're mostly volunteers and wouldn't be able to do a thing for OP in this instance, and definitely wouldn't be willing/qualified to start bashing in walls of your house for you.

GatsbyGal

She was rescued. :-) The mirror and light trick worked. We were able to locate exactly where she was using them. So seven big holes in the wall later and a dramatic rescue saw her back in her cage safe and sound. A massive thank you to you all again.

volchitsa

Yay, brilliant! I'm so relieved - it just seemed like such an awful way for any living creature to die, trapped like that.

But seven holes in the wall! That's some expensive hamster!
Best of luck anyway.

volchitsa

what's the mirror and light trick by the way? A way of seeing where she is inthe cavity i suppose, but how would it help you get to her?

GatsbyGal

volchitsa wrote: »

what's the mirror and light trick by the way? A way of seeing where she is inthe cavity i suppose, but how would it help you get to her?

There was timber crisscrossing in the wall and we didn't know which particular square she was in so the mirror and light allowed us to look in all the holes we created.

intheclouds

Great news!

Reminds me of a book I read in childhood: I, Houdini.

volchitsa

Does she have a name? If not that could be her new name!

Irish Stones

GatsbyGal wrote: »

She was rescued. :-) The mirror and light trick worked. We were able to locate exactly where she was using them. So seven big holes in the wall later and a dramatic rescue saw her back in her cage safe and sound. A massive thank you to you all again.

That is a very wonderful news! :):)