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How to find and catch a hamster in an apartment if it has escaped - valuable recommendations. What to do if a hamster escaped Djungarian hamster escaped from its cage how to catch it

When caring for a hamster, various incidents can occur. For example, a hamster can escape from its cage. This happens, there is nothing wrong with it. At least if it happened in the apartment. This situation happens to many. The rodent can escape while walking or directly from the cage. If you don’t keep an eye on it, it’s difficult to search for it later. But you still need to catch it. With larger breeds everything is easier, but dwarf hamsters are very good at hiding. Therefore, you need to be able to attract and catch them. So, how to catch a hamster in an apartment?

On the one hand, you might think that the situation is not worth attention and simply buy another. But this is not what a loving owner or one who values ​​his property would do. A rodent has escaped and needs to set up a new home. Previously, he lived in a cage where everything was ready, he just adjusted it to suit himself. And now, he has a whole apartment at his disposal. He will make himself a home, a toilet and a feeding trough anywhere. Perhaps it will be new upholstered furniture in which he will gnaw holes and settle there. Without the desire to catch a hamster, finding it will not be easy. This is a nocturnal creature that begins activity when others have already gone to bed. If your pet's escape is unsuccessful, he may die in your home. This may happen due to other pets, hunger or thirst, or it may be accidentally crushed. For example, move the sofa closer to the wall, and a rodent was sleeping there. You will literally crush him. I feel sorry for the little one and for you too, because over time his smell will spread everywhere and you will still be forced to look for him. I hope I convinced you that you need to catch a hamster one way or another.

How to catch an escaped hamster at home

If you have a habit of constantly closing the door behind you, then you are in luck. This means that most likely the rodent could not get out to another room, which means that you only need to look at the place where it escaped. This makes the task much easier. But if you are not sure that they are constantly closed, then you will have to expand your search to the scale of an entire house or apartment. One way or another, from now on you will need the habit of keeping all doors closed. Signs of a pet will soon appear in one of the rooms. Especially if you contribute to this.

If you have other pets, you need to think about this. Even if there is a small chance that they can harm the fugitive, we lock them in one place until we find the animal. And if these animals have already played with him and do not harm him, then they can be used in the search.

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Training helps to prevent the hamster from escaping from the cage. If you have accustomed the animal to a nickname, then it may respond to your voice. Some Syrian hamsters will even come running to you. If this does not happen, then we will hunt the fugitive.

When evening comes, the hamster will not be able to sit still, but most likely he will not openly run around the apartment. Knowing that the pest is active, we will take advantage of this. Most likely, our missing one is now looking for food, which is what we are using to catch it.

Ways to catch a hamster in the house:

  • The simplest and most harmless way is as follows. Do you know how to catch cockroaches in the house? Take a jar and put bait in it. They stick paper or something on the outer wall so they can climb. Since he cannot climb the bank, if he falls into it he will no longer get out.
    You can also catch a rodent. But instead of pasting over the walls of the jar, we put some kind of board so that the hamster can get to the bait. Once he gets there, he won't be able to get out. This method is not suitable for catching Syrian hamsters as they are large and will be able to climb out of the jar or turn it over.
    Instead of a jar, you can use other accessories. Various boxes and drawers with sufficient depth.
  • You can also take a box large enough so that the fugitive cannot get out and cover it with a sheet on top. Place some delicacy that smells good on top and wait for the daredevil to find your delicacy. As soon as he steps on the paper, he immediately falls into the box. These animals are nimble and run quickly, so they will not be slow to approach the bait and will easily fall into the box.
  • If you put his cage on the floor, there is a chance that he will return to it himself. To do this, we open the entrance to the middle and make it accessible. If it is too high, then we put a board or other stand so that the rodent can climb into it without any problems.
  • Another way is a running wheel. It can also be placed on the floor. If it squeaks, then you will be able to hear when your pet, out of old habit, runs in its wheel. This is where you will catch him.

How to find out where the fugitive is

Use your hearing. In the evening, when your pet wakes up, it will move, which means it will create noise. Turn off everything that can make noise and make the apartment perfectly quiet. If you hear rustling, it will be your rodent.

How to catch an escaped hamster in an apartment if it is large enough? Since in this case we will not hear the rustling, we will use what the pet likes to eat. You can put his favorite food, for example, in the center or corner of the room, and sprinkle flour around it. This method is suitable for large and small spaces. If you close all the doors and do this in every room, then in search of food he will leave traces. By using them you will know not only which room the rodent is in, but also by the white marks you will be able to track where it is hiding.

Knowledge of its psychology will help us find a hamster in an apartment. The rodent looks for a quiet, dark place and makes a home there. We need to start our search from the darkest and most inaccessible places. Look under furniture where there is enough space for it. Take a flashlight and look into all the dark corners. To find out which room the culprit is in, you can use one of the methods described above.

Prevention from escape

Now you know how to find and catch an escaped hamster in an apartment, but it’s better not to let it run away. How to prevent escape? To avoid getting into such situations again, you need to follow simple rules:

  • To avoid the question “how to catch a hamster,” always close the entrance to the cage. If it is not reliable, then it needs to be improved. You can buy a small block and install it as additional protection. If the cage itself is cheap, it most likely has not only a bad lock, but also an unstable base. Considering that hamsters can climb the top of the cage, larger individuals can simply turn the cage over. This will easily open the exit for them and they will have to catch the rodent.
  • Keep your pet only in a secure cage with high-quality bars. It happens that

Hamsters are one of the most popular pets in people's homes. However, owners need to be constantly on alert: the rodent uses every opportunity to escape to freedom. This can happen anywhere - during a walk, a trip, or even if the doors and roof of the house do not close well. What to do if you still lose sight of the animal? Catch it urgently - after all, your missing pet could climb into a dangerous place or become crushed! How to catch an escaped hamster in an apartment?

Search strategy

How to find a hamster in an apartment, using knowledge about some of the habits and habits of these animals? For example, it is known that hamsters are nocturnal animals, that is, at this time their activity increases. If you haven't found it before evening, don't get upset. Most likely, closer to midnight, people will start running around the apartment and then you can quickly notice the loss. But be careful with the rest of the family - don’t accidentally step on the animal.

Use a bait trap. Place a few sunflower seeds in some corners of your home - and the rodent will not keep you waiting. If you don't take him by surprise, you'll at least have a rough idea of ​​where the pet is hiding. Of course, if the loss of seeds is not the work of hungry household members. Or you can be even more cunning - sprinkle the floor around the piles of seeds with flour or starch. Then the white footprints will lead you to the shelter of the lost homa. Another method to find it is to lay foil or other “rustling” material on the floor in the area of ​​the intended hiding places. At night, hide nearby and listen to the surrounding sounds, trying not to make unnecessary movements.

Simple tips on how to find an escaped hamster in an apartment will help you determine its location. But the process of capture itself is also not an easy task. How can you competently deal with it?

How to find a hamster

The creatures are tiny and timid (especially the Djungarian), having escaped from the cage, they will very quickly hide in a secluded corner. Surely, you yourself know where these are located in your own apartment. The sooner you start your search, the greater your chances of finding the fugitive. Attention! If there are predatory animals in the house, immediately isolate them while searching.

Here is an approximate algorithm for how to catch a hamster and locate its location:

  • explore the space closest to the cage;
  • Look behind and under furniture, including pillows;
  • take care of bookcases, shelves, chests of drawers, sideboards: pay attention not only to the furniture, but also to the contents;
  • check upholstered furniture for holes and openings where a pet could climb;
  • look into boxes, bags, wallets, shoes and other deep things;
  • carefully inspect instruments and equipment;
  • pay attention to the holes in the walls: the hamster could crawl under the wallpaper or baseboard, or even climb over to the neighbors.

It’s good when you can roughly guess where and in what part of the apartment the rodent has hidden. Then you can narrow your search. But what to do if your hamster ran away in an unknown direction? It's time to use cunning to identify the fugitive.

Rodent trap

If you manage to figure out where the animal is hiding, do not rush to celebrate your victory. The nimble baby moves briskly around the room and is not so easy to grab. How to catch a hamster that has run away and return it to its “native land”?

There are times when prodigal hamsters themselves return to their house. To increase the chances of success, place the cage on the floor in the area of ​​the intended shelter (or leave it in a familiar place), leave the door open and put something tasty in the feeder. It is possible that the hamster himself will be glad to return.

Trap options

What other traps will help catch the fugitive?

  1. Take a low bucket of moderate depth (so that the animal cannot get out, but would not be at risk of injury), cover the bottom with soft bedding, and place aromatic food like a piece of cheese or an apple on the rim. Lay a “ladder” at the top so that your hamster can climb up to get food. The idea is that he will then fall into the bucket and will not be able to get out on his own. If you are the owner of a dwarf hamster, then the bucket may be less deep than for a Syrian hamster - this breed is not as “sporty” and much lazier.
  2. You can use a “live mouse trap,” which is a mouse trap that does not kill the mouse. Alternatively, a cracker with butter is used as bait. This method is not very welcomed by rodent owners, since a small possibility of injury still exists.

Escape prevention

It is easier to prevent any problem than to correct its consequences. All you need to do is exercise basic vigilance and thus avoid the hamster running away from you. While walking, do not let the animal out of your sight, but rather purchase a special leash. As for the apartment, control should not be relaxed here either.

Hamsters are wonderful little pets that don't cause much trouble for their owners. They are kept in cages, terrariums and aquariums. But it may happen that your hamster was somehow able to leave his home.

Finding a fugitive is not easy, but it is quite possible. And now we will tell you how to do this.

Why can a hamster escape from its cage?

First, let's look at the possible reasons for escaping:

  1. You forgot to close the cage. You should not leave the door open unattended, even for a minute; hamsters love freedom very much and can take advantage of such a convenient moment.
  2. Cage with wooden base. A small animal can gnaw on a tree, causing the rods to become loose, and it can easily crawl out.
  3. Aquarium without a lid. From such a home, a hamster can very easily be released into the wild. In order to climb up and escape, he will use available means, for example, a running wheel.
  4. While walking around the apartment. Children usually like to take hamsters for walks, but if a child is distracted for even a moment, his pet will immediately disappear in an unknown direction.
  5. While cleaning the cage. It is best at such a moment to move the pet into a three-liter jar and give it a treat, otherwise escape is almost inevitable.

Important! Make sure your hamster's housing is sturdy, especially cages with wooden parts. If the walls are flimsy, then immediately take measures to strengthen the cage or buy a new one.

Where can hamsters hide?

If your little rodent does escape, then do not panic, but rather start searching right away. Keep in mind that the hamster has found himself in places unfamiliar to him, he is afraid and, most likely, will hide in some quiet place that is safe from his point of view. We recommend that you carefully search in the following places:

  • objects near the cage itself (clothes, dishes, books), because maybe the fugitive was hiding very close by;
  • behind any furniture where there are any cracks, holes (walls, bedside tables, sofas, tables, chairs, etc.), as well as inside it;
  • a variety of boxes and jars of any size;
  • bags and shoes;
  • household appliances, especially those with holes or crevices;
  • secluded places in the bathroom and toilet.

Important! Be sure to close the toilet lid, remove easily accessible chemicals and other pets, especially cats. All this poses a danger to your pet rodent!

How to catch a fugitive in an apartment

If your search is unsuccessful and the small pet seems to have fallen through the ground, then you will have to be smart and simply track down the escaped animal.

Sprinkle treats

The fugitive will sooner or later want to eat, and hunger will drive him out of the secret place in search of food. Therefore, in every room, kitchen and other areas of your home, place sunflower seeds on the floor (hamsters love them). Keep in mind that you are looking for an animal that is active at night, which means it makes sense to check the edible bookmarks in the morning. Remember the places where the seeds disappeared and the next night add the treat there again. All that's left to do is sprinkle some flour or cornstarch around it. Now you can easily track your pet to his hiding place using tiny white footprints.

Favorite toy

You can use the running wheel that is in the cage. Hamsters usually love to run around in it.

Did you know? A small hamster, turning the wheel with its tiny paws, can run up to 10 km during the night!

Wait until evening and put your favorite toy on the floor, turn off the light. After a while, you can hear the fugitive running in circles out of habit. All that remains is to remove the animal from the wheel and move it to a permanent place of residence.

Hamster traps

If the simplest methods do not work, then you will have to set traps. They are not at all difficult to make with your own hands. The main thing is that such devices are safe for small furry rodents.

From a plastic bottle

The process of making a trap from a plastic bottle is as follows:

  1. Take a 2-liter plastic bottle with flat sides.
  2. Prepare scissors, an elastic band and a small board or thick cardboard.
  3. Using scissors, cut three sides of the bottle from the bottom, leaving the fourth side alone. The bottom will be the door through which air will flow, so bend it back and secure it with an elastic band so it doesn't close.
  4. Prepare a so-called bridge according to the size of the bottle, along which the hamster will get inside the trap. Attach the bridge to the lower free edge of the bottle so that it goes inward at a slope and can bend under the weight of the animal.
  5. Place some tasty bait in the bottle.
  6. The hamster, smelling a delicious smell, will fall into the bottle along the bridge. Then the bridge will rise back, and the fugitive will fall into a trap.

Toilet paper roll

The next simple device for catching a hamster is a cardboard toilet paper tube (paper towels are also suitable).

But this method is good when you can roughly guess where the pet is hiding. You just have to wait for the animal to enter the trap.
So, take the sleeve, seal one of the edges. Place a treat inside and point the free edge to where your fugitive is most likely hiding. Having smelled a tasty smell, the animal will probably walk into an improvised trap. Wait for this moment and carefully, covering the hole with your palm, transfer the hamster into its cage.

Another handy tool for a trap is an ordinary plastic bucket. Be sure to put something soft (towel, hay, sawdust) at the bottom so that your hamster does not break. Now think about the path along which the animal will get into the bucket.

This could be, for example, a ladder made of books or a board. Place the seeds along the way, cover the bucket itself with a sheet of paper, on which put something tasty. The hamster will follow the bait and will inevitably fall into the trap.

How to prevent escape

Catching an escaped hamster is a rather difficult task, so it is best to create conditions for the animal so that escape is minimized.

Did you know? Hamsters, despite their miniature size, are distinguished by their intelligence: they remember their nickname, recognize their relatives and are capable of training.

  • the cage must be strong and reliable; it is best to hang a lock on the door, because the hamster can quickly handle the latch;
  • The bottom of the cage is best made of plastic; the hamster most likely will not chew through it;
  • It is best to place the hamster’s home in a quiet and peaceful place, loud noises, other pets, a large number of people will disturb the animal, and it can run away at the first opportunity;
  • Provide your pet with toys, good food and drink;
  • watch your hamster's mood, if he is sad, it means he doesn't like something, play with him.


Now you know how to prevent your pet from escaping. And if this does happen, then following all the above recommendations, finding the missing animal will not be difficult. .

Every hamster owner knows that these little creatures are extremely inquisitive and love to hide in the most unexpected and tiny spaces, especially in the dark. In addition, even the most skilled thief will envy the escape skills of these rodents.

It is worth regularly checking the strength of cages, balls, containers for hamsters, because the outside world is extremely dangerous for such a tiny animal. If this fluffy ball was lucky enough to secretly leave its home, then you should immediately begin searching for the fugitive. So, how to find an escaped hamster in an apartment?

It is common for a small rodent of any breed to escape from its cage, but Djungarian hamsters do this much more often than Syrian ones. This is explained by the fact that dzungarians are more inquisitive and agile. And the cause of such an event can be any factor.

What to do if the hamster is not in the cage?

The reactions of owners to the disappearance of a pet are varied. Some people panic, while others are sure that the animal will run up, get some exercise and return to its apartment. Alas, this opinion is extremely erroneous. If you don’t take any action right away, it will harm both your pet and damage your property. Thus, the animal is under the threat of falling into the paws of a cat or dog, it is possible that it will enter a trap from which the animal will not be able to get out on its own, and death from starvation or dehydration should also not be ruled out.

It is important not to forget that a hamster is a rodent that strives to taste everything. This way, the animal can easily chew through the wire and damage furniture and other interior items. What to do if a Djungarian, Syrian or another breed of hamster escapes from its cage? How to find a fluffy?

It is forbidden to panic, because often hamsters are found healthy and unharmed. Some fugitives return within a few hours, while others stretch out the journey over a couple of days.

Make minimal noise and do not make sudden movements. Otherwise, the fluffy little ball will be even more frightened and hide more securely.

Lock the door as soon as you notice that the rodent's cage is empty. This is necessary so that the area where the hamster is hiding becomes safe for him. Don't forget to cover the gaps where your baby can squeeze through.

Inform your family about the fugitive. They will help you in your search, and they will not inadvertently harm a rodent that is hiding in an extremely unexpected place.

Where do rodents go?

If the hamster escaped from the cage, how to find it? It’s worth immediately inspecting all the places where the nocturnal animal could have escaped. Hamsters love secluded hiding places. They like to hide near cages, climb under furniture and into gaps between walls and cabinets. Rodents also like boxes, cabinets and bags.

How to track an animal?

First of all, you should start tracking this tiny creature. First, inspect the area near the cage. Fluffy is in no hurry to leave the familiar space and is looking for a secluded place here.

If the fugitive is not near the cage, then it is important to immediately begin inspecting the furniture. Take the time to carefully examine each piece of furniture, look behind it and check underneath it. At the next stage of the search, it is important to examine bags and boxes. Pay attention to your shoes too. It is possible that your favorite hamster is hiding in a dark and warm shoe.

Still, the hamster has not been found yet? Check appliances and electronics for holes. If any are present, do not be lazy to disassemble the device and look for the fugitive there. And most importantly: do not forget that the hamster is a nocturnal animal. Turn off the lights in the room and sit still in the dark for a while and listen. The animal will move, creating a barely audible noise.

How to lure out a fugitive?

To the question of how to lure a hamster out if it has escaped from its cage, what exactly to do, there is an extremely simple answer. If you have already determined in which hard-to-reach place the animal is hiding, then Place a feeder nearby or sprinkle seeds on the floor. When the fluffy gets hungry, he will independently get out of the shelter to eat.

If the whereabouts of the pet are still unknown, then food will also help to catch an escaped hamster in the apartment in this case, as in the previous one. Place a small amount of food on several areas of the floor and “surround” it with flour or starch. A hungry baby will soon find food and get its paws dirty. Then, in hot pursuit, you can easily find out in which direction the furry traveler disappeared.

If you don’t want to litter your room, you can make an imaginary bowl out of foil and pour the animal’s favorite treat into it. Leave the homemade plate on the floor. When the hamster comes to eat, the meal will not pass silently.

How to catch an escaped animal in an apartment?

When the baby is discovered and lured out of its hiding place, it is time for capture. A waffle towel should be thrown over a hamster tempted by food.. This way the animal’s movements will be limited, and you can easily catch it.

If the agile fluffy doesn’t want to leave the shelter, then place a cage with an open door near the entrance to the shelter. A hungry rodent will climb into it himself to replenish his strength. It also doesn’t hurt to place your favorite toys and attractions near the hiding place. Soon the baby will want to play and catching him will not be difficult.

Did these actions also not give the desired result? It is worth using traps that are important to place around the room. Such devices are sold in pet stores or you can easily make them yourself from household items.

Types of traps

Now let's figure out how to catch a hamster if it has already escaped and cannot be lured out. Don't be afraid of the word "trap". The variations of such a device presented below will not harm the pet, but will only help to catch it.

Bottle

A 2- or 3-liter flat-sided plastic bottle works best for this trap. On three sides you need to carefully cut off the bottom so that it sticks only on the fourth. Bend the dangling plastic and, using a rubber band, secure it in this state. Make a bridge out of cardboard and place it against the bottom edge so that it points inside the trap.

Place a treat on the edge of the device that is in the bottle. The hamster will climb inside and eat, but will not be able to leave the trap.

A tube

This device is perfect for those cases when the fluffy one is hiding under the furniture. You need to take a roll that is left over from toilet paper or paper towels and put a treat for the rodent in it. We seal one of the holes, and with the other side we place the tube near the hamster’s hiding place. A hungry animal will climb into the sleeve for food, and in the meantime you will close the entrance with your palm and move the small tourist back to his apartment.

Bucket

It is important to line the bottom of this vessel with hay or sawdust. This way the animal won’t hurt itself if it falls. Next, cover the bucket with paper and place your baby’s treat on top of it. The next stage is the construction of the “staircase”. You can attach a long ruler to the trap or lay out a ladder from books.

Don't forget to place some goodies at short distances. This will not only attract the rodent's attention, but will also lure him into a trap. Having climbed onto a paper sheet for a treat, the hamster will fall down, and he will not be lucky enough to get out of the bucket on his own.

Preventing escape

To prevent the rodent from leaving the home, all measures should be taken to prevent this incident. First of all, it is worth making the cage as reliable as possible. It is important to check all opening, loose and unstable parts of the house. If there are any flaws, they should be corrected immediately. Don't forget about a strong latch-lock. It is better to exclude a plastic fuse from use and use an iron one. This way the animal won’t harm itself with the plastic if it decides to chew on the lock.

Make sure the rodent's cage is in a quiet and peaceful place. It is better to isolate the baby from noise and human fuss. Otherwise, the fluffy will get scared, and then escape will be inevitable.

Don't forget about the animal's comfort. If a child regularly runs away from his home, then he doesn’t like something there.

You should clean the cage more often, try changing the food or purchasing new toys and attractions. And most importantly: pay attention to your pet.

Alas, it is impossible to completely insure against a hamster escaping from its cage. And if this has already happened, do not panic under any circumstances and do not wait for the fugitive to return on his own. The sooner you start looking for the little traveler, the sooner the baby will be safe.

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