Help - Liquid in cage!

If it’s any consolation - exactly the same thing happened to me with our first hamster - we had a ball then and it’s common that the lids pop off if the hamster bashes the ball against something. And the hamsters would get in the habit if doing that deliberately! To try and break the ball open. But it wasn’t using the ball we lost our first one, Id put him on the floor for a play as he seemed so docile - and he shot off! And went behind the fridge (we had a living room with a kitchen end). So we knew where he was but couldn’t get him out. The fridge was an under counter one so needed pulling out but we daren’t do that in case we squashed him. So we actually dismantled a run of worktop and removed a cupboard - to get to the side of the fridge. Just when we had done that, he casually sauntered out of the other side against the wall 😊. Managed to pick him up then.
 
Maz said:
If it’s any consolation - exactly the same thing happened to me with our first hamster - we had a ball then and it’s common that the lids pop off if the hamster bashes the ball against something. And the hamsters would get in the habit if doing that deliberately! To try and break the ball open. But it wasn’t using the ball we lost our first one, Id put him on the floor for a play as he seemed so docile - and he shot off! And went behind the fridge (we had a living room with a kitchen end). So we knew where he was but couldn’t get him out. The fridge was an under counter one so needed pulling out but we daren’t do that in case we squashed him. So we actually dismantled a run of worktop and removed a cupboard - to get to the side of the fridge. Just when we had done that, he casually sauntered out of the other side against the wall 😊. Managed to pick him up then.
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Awwww they really are so good at finding the most difficult places to reach. I always knew we had a risk of this with two young children but really thought we would make it more than 2 weeks in! Typically it was the first night I went out and left my husband in charge 🙈
 
Yes that Kaytee looks like a good deal 😊. That’s fine. And it’s not a scented version.
 
Equal nicest maybe :-) I prefer Fitch personally! But Kaytee is nice as well.
 
I ordered the Kaytee just because I managed to get 70 litres for £18.95! I think I was being optimistic at the time as we still haven’t found Nibbles.

He didn’t seem to come out last night, wondering whether he is just working his way through the stash of food he took on the first night. I set up my old baby monitor camera and checked often but no sign. He didn’t touch any of the food on the bucket trap ☹️

I’m starting to worry about if he is cold and if he has any bedding to at least feel safe in. I was sure when we pulled everything out the kitchen that we would find some of the food he took, or at least a few poops but nothing! We are totally baffled as to where he could be.
 
Is it possible that the night before, he went to the kitchen to take the food and then moved to another room? He might have moved back to the room where his cage is. I would leave the bucket trap down again tonight and also leave his cage on the floor in his cage room - with a ramp up to the cage. Does it have a door that opens at the front? That you can put some kind of ramp up to the open door? If he's cold he will probably have tried to find a warm spot or a cosy spot. I remember someone finding a hamster in a pile of washing or in a jumper in a bedroom.

What is the layout of your house? Stairs? Hallway? Open plan? Have you looked under the sofa?

It might also be that if he's cold he doesn't want to come out. Maybe try leaving the heating on at night tonight, If it's on constant on a thermostat at 18 degrees c, it'll just go on and off when needed.

He'll also stay hidden away if he hears any noise in the house or thinks someone is in the room. The baby monitor is a good idea - some of us have something similar as a "nightcam". Can you view it on your phone while upstairs in bed? Keep positive. It took me two nights to catch Tino :-) He had been under the sofa the whole time.

I am thinking maybe the kitchen isn't the cosiest place for him to nest and he might have just taken food from there that first night and then gone somewhere more cosy. And yes he may have a hoard. Cucumber would hydrate him for a couple of days but leaving water down is a good idea. In a shallow saucer. In both rooms.

As it's not certain he's in the kitchen now, I would leave all the doors open downstairs at night this time, so he can get back in the kitchen if he's somewhere else and then he might use the bucket trap - if he doesn't go back to his cage.

My sister had a gerbil who escaped once and we found him in a kitchen cupboard! Where he had flipped the lid off a biscuit tin. But gerbils are a bit different and more athletic.
 
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So my kitchen and utility room and connected without a door so I believe he is in either of those rooms. We’ve had the door from the kitchen to living room shut since Friday night when he went missing, so chances of him getting back into the living room are slim however I’ve had his cage door open with a ramp up to it ever since just incase.

We did pull the whole sofa apart on the first night and he wasn’t there. We’ve turned the whole downstairs of our house upside down, and I can’t believe we haven’t found one sign other than the food going missing early Sunday morning!

Yep I’ve got the bucket trap out and a little dish of water nearby.

Ive hardly slept the last 2 nights, I just sat and stared at the camera screen whilst in bed last night hoping to see some kind of movement!
 
It's awful I know. One of my hamsters disappeared when free roaming. I knew he was in the living room as it was blocked off, but couldn't find him before going to bed. Next day we turned everything upside down and couldn't find him, as you say. They are clever. I caught him that night with his cage on the floor - no idea where he was hiding! But he could have kept moving from one place to another - they are sneaky!

Maybe try a smelly treat near the bottom of the book ladder as well as at the top.

I'm wondering if you could carefully move appliances in the utility room in case he's behind one.
 
Oh, I hope he comes home soon. He must be tired of being on the run. The pile of clothes is a good idea. I'm sure you won't hold a few holes against him. Perhaps piles of bedding might attract him too. They have complex tunnels in the wild so side stepping being found is probably a skill hamsters are good at. Come home Nibbles, back to your cosy nest ❤️
 
I’ve already dotted some seeds up the book steps for that exact reason and we’ve pulled out all the appliances in the kitchen and utility room as well as taken the bases off all the kitchen cupboard….. I’m flabbergasted we haven’t seen anything at all!

I’ve put his bed in the kitchen so he can hide inside or take some bedding to wherever he is hiding, maybe leave a trail for me to find him 🙏🏼
 
HE’S BACK!!!! He fell into the bucket trap and somehow climbed back out! He then fell for my husbands rat trap in the utility room. I have no idea where he went (which will probably bug me forever 😂) The kids couldn’t be any happier, so glad he is safe and I can finally sleep!

Here he is back in his home, filling his cheeks like nothing ever happened 🥰 Wondering what all the fuss was about 🤪
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I was thinking, if you went to the pet shop, they might give you some soiled
Danibear18 said:
HE’S BACK!!!! He fell into the bucket trap and somehow climbed back out! He then fell for my husbands rat trap in the utility room. I have no idea where he went (which will probably bug me forever 😂) The kids couldn’t be any happier, so glad he is safe and I can finally sleep!

Here he is back in his home, filling his cheeks like nothing ever happened 🥰 Wondering what all the fuss was about 🤪
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🎂🎉🍻🪣🥰 Fantastic! He really is a ninja, with powers of invisibility! I was going to suggest putting some soiled bedding from a female hamster (the pet shop might give you some) but food treats and ingenuity have done the trick. So great to see him happily back in his cage!
 
So happy for you all, well done !!! Fantastic news he’s back, safe and sound and looking well. No more escapes pls Nibbles 😃. Have a great day all
 
That's great news! So pleased. Unbelievable he escaped the bucket trap. Tino did as well - I think he climbed the ruler which fell at an angle against the side. Just keep an eye on him for a few days but I'm sure he'll be fine and he'll enjoy the nice new Kaytee :).

He's a gorgeous colour by the way. Best not to use the ball again! It can be useful as a hand held "Taxi" though for transporting them from the cage to a hamster-safe area or playpen, for out of cage time. Playpen area is better as you or a child can sit in it with the hamster so they get used to you and climb over you etc. Some people use the dry bathtub as a playpen (with the plug in and a blanket down maybe and some hidey places and food in there for him - eg tissue box hide, pringles tube etc). Once his new wheel comes, you could put his old flying saucer in the play area as well (if it's big enough).

This is only the second time I've heard of a hamster escaping a bucket! The first time was my hamster Tino! I have seen some people use a tall kitchen bin instead (but then it needs a blanket or something in the bottom as it would be quite a drop - and it must take a lot more books if taller!).

So next time he looks like he wants to come out, you could maybe let him walk into the ball (put it over the cage door maybe?), pop the lid on and then carefully carry the ball to the hamsterproof area or bathtub and set it down and take the lid off. I say carefully, just so someone doesn't drop it as it's round. They sometimes hop back in the ball to show you when they're ready to go back to the cage.

The bathtub is not a bad place for taming time, to get him used to being stroked, or eating from your hand, but don't try to pick him up too soon or he might wriggle free and "ping" - start with stroking and hand feeding. Once he's a bit more tame, a larger playpen or sectioned off area with "toys" and a spare wheel in is good and you can sit on the floor at his level as well. Hamsters can get under a 1cm door gap though, so hamsterproof well! Or worse they can try and get under a door gap and get stuck! I used to stick a draught excluder in front of the door.
 
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Yes, there is a video on You Tube of a hamster going under a door, taking a run at it and then having to really struggle to get the rest of the way. Your house has suffered enough I think. Pinging is a vertical jump straight up into the air. I've only seen Socks doing it in his cage, but since seeing how high they can jump, if I need to carry him anywhere, I pop him in his hamster carrier 🚕 It is really great that Nibbles TN is back home and safe after his adventures 🥷 and you can get back to reading those wonderful books, perhaps to him 😄
 
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