Hamster Disappeared/Hiding

Chet T16

Ok, firstly i know that we're completely at fault here but keep your bashing aside for one second please

We got a little russian dwarf hamster 3 weeks ago and had him set up in a rotastak cage in the spare room. The 3 cats had displayed an interest in him but nothing major.

This morning my wife came home from work and discovered the cage on the ground with the top missing off it and no hamster

My assumption is that one of the cats got in and got a bit excited and knocked the cage off the shelf. Knowing what the cats are like (very friendly/timid) they would have ran when it banged on the ground. I'm hoping that the hamster used this time to run and hide.

I don't know much about hamster behaviour so i guess i'm asking if their instinct is to hide and would they stay hiding for long? The cats don't seem to be acting unusual (no sniffing around or anything) so they certainly haven't found him. Normally anything they catch is dragged thru the catflap and left at the door so i would have assumed they'd do the same with the hamster. There no signs of a "struggle" anywhere. At times i've had to clean up a bits of mice off the floor...

I've left some cheese (supposedly they can smell it very well) in a bucket with a ramp up in the spare room to try catch him if he is still in there and i've locked the cats out just incase hes loose elsewhere

I know it may all be wishful thinking that he's hiding somewhere but someone please tell me i'm right!

Interceptor

Title: Hamster disappearing/hiding? Sounds like you blame the hamster for getting itself eaten.

No, my guess is your hamster was eaten by your cat - easily their most expensive snack to date. How hard did the cats have to try to knock the hamster cage off a SHELF? The hamster must have been terrified.

Your first mistake was letting cats and hamster cages mix - these two pets are not natural friends. If you get another hamster, keep it in a room where the cats don't go. Tsk tsk...

You can hope that the hamster comes back - if it escaped you should do your best to find it but it may not still be talking to you.

'cptr

Chet T16

So, did you read the first half of my first sentence? And the second part?

Sorry, i never mentioned that the cats weren't allowed in there. One of us must have left the door slightly open yesterday.

I don't see your point about the shelf? Its a shelft/bookcase unit and the cage fits on top so whats the problem?

Interceptor

Chet T16 wrote: »

Its a shelft/bookcase unit and the cage fits on top so whats the problem?

I have no problem apart from the distress to a hamster caused when a cat climbed up and knocked its cage down, opened it and probably ate it. That and you don't sound very worried. Oh sorry, am I bashing you for neglecting to protect an animal in your care? Bad me.

Have you found the missing hamster yet? If not, why are you back here? Go on, get looking...

'cptr

Chet T16

Of course i'm worried. I feel bloody terrible. You made reference to the shelf, thats what i was questioning.

I have looked, i am looking and i'll continue to look.

Accidents happen you know!

Lauragoesmad

I'd say the hamster is probably alright. There would be signs of blood and fur if the cat got it. One of our hamsters escaped from her cage and the only bait she would go into the trap for was raisens. Try them. Hope you get your hamster back.:) Just remember to keep the cats out of the room if he returns.;)

Maggie.23

I hope he is alive. If he is alive he is probably too scared to come out so you will have a big job looking in tiny hiding places. When I was about 10 my hamster escaped down a hole in the floor of the airing cupboard, but he was so clever he gripped onto a string of cotton wool so that I could pull him back up.

Crafty-Chel

ok this happened to me twice, first time me mum let it out and lost it for hours, there fast and do like to hide, keep an eye out for droppings, mine ended up in the wardrope coz i left the door open, second time had a cat, both got on well but supervised them, but i knocked the cage one day and was in a hurry, couldnt catch her, she went behind a machine so i figured the cat wouldnt get her, but wen i came in from work she was dead, i think the cat frightened her to death coz ther wasnt a scratch on her...

check everywhere, they get in to the smallest places, hope you find him...

Chet T16

Thanks, i have left a few cheerios in various places to see if any disappear but i will keep out for droppings - i never realised they did so much poo!

lorna100

get a few live mouse traps and put them in small cracks and crevices with a TINY bit of cabbage and cheeze, check them every few hours and hope hammy will go in.

put a set number of sunflower seeds down in the corners of each room where the hamster could be, check every few hours to see if any have gone - if they have then you'll know what room hes in.

Also bear in mind that hammy could be injured from falling from a height, and injured hammies will hide even more so than scared hamsters.

please put down water all over the place in tiny dishes, if he is around you don't want him dying from dehydration.

Remember that the small areas behind furniture etc. are the places to look. check all sofas etc. for tiny holes that hammy could have gotten through, he could be hiding in a sofa somewhere.

Chet T16

Luckily we're dealing with a relatively small area so theres only 2 rooms he can be in. I've put down more cheerios at any gap where he may have run in (just the one so i can keep track)

Dusty87

Hope all works out for you. Let us know if you find him

eeyore2502

Fingers crossed he will turn up. One of our kids left the cage door open and our hamster got out. It was over a week later before she reappeared, we had given up and really thought she was gone or dead somewhere. Hubby heard a noise behind the fridge one night and there she was.

Try warm places, like behind he fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, at radiators and pipes.

builttospill

Put some popcorn on the piano. That should draw it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMYX1VDpkHE

Chet T16

eeyore2502 wrote: »

Fingers crossed he will turn up. One of our kids left the cage door open and our hamster got out. It was over a week later before she reappeared, we had given up and really thought she was gone or dead somewhere. Hubby heard a noise behind the fridge one night and there she was.

Try warm places, like behind he fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, at radiators and pipes.

A week, cool!

No signs of life here. Starting to think one of the cats must have brought him out

eeyore2502

Fingers crossed he will turn up.