New Syrian bar biting

It's only been a day and providing she could access water somewhere then she could be in hiding for quite some time. They can go a couple of days without water.

Hopefully a hamster wouldn't be silly enough to jump off a balcony and you saw no sign of that. So she will be in the apartment somewhere. Do you have any vent ducts? In one case a hamster had got into a duct and turned up in another apartment below.

I would put posters up in the apartment block with a photo saying missing hamster in this apartment block and put your phone number on it. Just in case she turns up in another apartment.

Another lady found the hamster had got stuck behind a wardrobe. I take it you've moved/looked under furniture? It helps to shine a torch under first as moving a heavy piece of furniture can be risky too - so you don't squash her when moving it. Have you looked behind the fridge?

If you don't have a bucket, do you have a storage bin? Just something as high as a bucket that she couldn't climb out of. If she is in the apartment that is the best way to catch her. That or her cage on the floor as they usually like to go back to their nest and their own scent.

There have been people found hamsters days later.

If it's the worst case scenario then I don't think you'd smell anything for quite a long time.
 
Where did you last see her? The chances are she is still in your daughter's room somewhere. Maybe in a pile of toys? They like soft cuddly things. I would search your daughter's room carefully. But they can hide away quite well and the best way to catch her is to either put her cage on the floor or a bucket trap and a trail of food to them as it's at night when it's quiet she is most likely to come out. She might have stayed hidden last night because you were up looking for her. Mine stayed under the sofa for a whole day and night.
 
Maz said:
It's only been a day and providing she could access water somewhere then she could be in hiding for quite some time. They can go a couple of days without water.

Hopefully a hamster wouldn't be silly enough to jump off a balcony and you saw no sign of that. So she will be in the apartment somewhere. Do you have any vent ducts? In one case a hamster had got into a duct and turned up in another apartment below.

I would put posters up in the apartment block with a photo saying missing hamster in this apartment block and put your phone number on it. Just in case she turns up in another apartment.

Another lady found the hamster had got stuck behind a wardrobe. I take it you've moved/looked under furniture? It helps to shine a torch under first as moving a heavy piece of furniture can be risky too - so you don't squash her when moving it. Have you looked behind the fridge?

If you don't have a bucket, do you have a storage bin? Just something as high as a bucket that she couldn't climb out of. If she is in the apartment that is the best way to catch her. That or her cage on the floor as they usually like to go back to their nest and their own scent.

There have been people found hamsters days later.

If it's the worst case scenario then I don't think you'd smell anything for quite a long time.
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Thank you Maz, we did look everywhere we could, behind every furniture, the flat is not too big, my daughter's bedroom recently had changed flooring and we had a check around every corner, every furniture, I'm using a headlamp the ones we use in hiking, to look for every spot of the house. To be honest I feel so bad, I don't even know how to describe the feeling, but I did put a box that was a bit tall with things inside, her cage stays on the floor and I out some books so she could climb up and sleep right beside the cage every night. I was complaining about the bar biting and now I miss the noise like crazy.
 
Maz said:
Where did you last see her? The chances are she is still in your daughter's room somewhere. Maybe in a pile of toys? They like soft cuddly things. I would search your daughter's room carefully. But they can hide away quite well and the best way to catch her is to either put her cage on the floor or a bucket trap and a trail of food to them as it's at night when it's quiet she is most likely to come out. She might have stayed hidden last night because you were up looking for her. Mine stayed under the sofa for a whole day and night.
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She was last seen inside my daughter's bedroom, she let her out to roam around and went to the toilet which is right by her bedrooms side, when she got back she realised the door was opened, maybe the wind, and immediately told be, and went to the balcony to close the doors. All this happened in a spam of 2/3 minutes. After that we never stopped looking for her. All My daughters soft toys are hanging on a net by the wall, above her bed. We emptied every wardrobe, laundry basket, everything.
 
Ok so it's possible she left the bedroom when your daughter went to the toilet. My hamster used to follow me out of the room if I forgot to put the door barrier up! Have you pulled out any chests of drawers or wardrobes in her bedroom and checked under her bed? If so then yes she could be anywhere in the apartment. Do you have a bath in the bathroom? If so check behind the bath panel - they sometimes get under there if there's a gap - it's dark.
 
Maz said:
Ok so it's possible she left the bedroom when your daughter went to the toilet. My hamster used to follow me out of the room if I forgot to put the door barrier up! Have you pulled out any chests of drawers or wardrobes in her bedroom and checked under her bed? If so then yes she could be anywhere in the apartment. Do you have a bath in the bathroom? If so check behind the bath panel - they sometimes get under there if there's a gap - it's dark.
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Literally every nook and cranny, we looked everywhere. I had to step out to have a fresh air just few minutes ago because it was too much, I might be overreacting here but I do feel horrible, sad and confused, and at the same time trying to convey peace to my daughter.
 
Perhaps signs in the entrance of the flats might help. She could travel a while and then come out for water or because of cooking smells. Cooking lots of smelly food is good too. Once she gets hungry she will start to look for food. Someone might find her then. I do feel for you, they seem so slow and then the moment you turn your back they are like quick silver. Being quiet and moving slowly, and sleeping also help, but it is very understandable to be angry and frustrated and very sad all at the same time.
 
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Perhaps putting a few bits of old bedding along with shredded loo paper in a box or flower pot in various places in the flat might tempt her to go to sleep in them.
 
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biazc said:
Literally every nook and cranny, we looked everywhere. I had to step out to have a fresh air just few minutes ago because it was too much, I might be overreacting here but I do feel horrible, sad and confused, and at the same time trying to convey peace to my daughter.
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It's so stressful isn't it. I'm sorry. I would still try cage on the floor in daughter's bedroom and bucket trap in the kitchen maybe, tonight, and leave all the doors open. And then just go to bed. Any noise or disturbance and she won't come out from wherever she is probably.
 
Maz said:
It's so stressful isn't it. I'm sorry. I would still try cage on the floor in daughter's bedroom and bucket trap in the kitchen maybe, tonight, and leave all the doors open. And then just go to bed. Any noise or disturbance and she won't come out from wherever she is probably.
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Will do all of that, thank you all. Daughter is having a really hard time, so am I to be honest. I will try all that and hope for the best.
 
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That is your best chance of catching her if she's in the apartment and hiding somewhere. The bucket trap has worked for me every time :-)
 
Yes, resuming your everyday routine (as far as possible) might bring her out. The bucket trap is amazing.
 
Hi everyone, sorry I've been away, I'm in a short holiday with my daughter. I have good news, my husband heard a noise in the kitchen 2 days ago and it turns out it was Mauve eating the piece of apple he dropped on the floor. Since then, he's giving her food and water in the kitchen because it's really hard to reach where she is hiding. I told him to do the bucket trap and also to give food a bit further from where she is so he can block her way back. We will see how that goes, and I'm coming back on Wednesday so hopefully I can catch her then.
 
I was wondering. It's good you know where she is. Make sure you block her in the kitchen! So she can't get anywhere else. I'd suggest he puts her cage on the floor tonight first with a ramp up to it (I used a large cushion as a ramp last time), as the chances are she will want to go back to her cage to sleep in the morning and there'll be food and water and her next in there. He could try the bucket trap as well but it needs to be set up right. My Syrian actually managed to escape from the bucket! I had his cage on the floor as well and he was asleep in that in the morning.
 
biazc said:
Hi everyone, sorry I've been away, I'm in a short holiday with my daughter. I have good news, my husband heard a noise in the kitchen 2 days ago and it turns out it was Mauve eating the piece of apple he dropped on the floor. Since then, he's giving her food and water in the kitchen because it's really hard to reach where she is hiding. I told him to do the bucket trap and also to give food a bit further from where she is so he can block her way back. We will see how that goes, and I'm coming back on Wednesday so hopefully I can catch her then.
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My husband has managed to catch her, she almost bit him, but at least she's in the cage now 🥰🐹
 
Oh that's great news. Make sure she stays in that cage for now! She might start bar chewing and being a bit wild after that taste of freedom.
 
Great news. Yes, with my guinea pigs I get so used to leaving the door of their cage open because they tend to stay in their familiar surroundings, when I swap over to Socks I'm have to remind myself that Syrian hamsters are escape artists. So glad Mauve is back, so brilliant!
 
Just to add - she could be a bit dehydrated if she’s been out a few days - it was probably the moisture of the apple she was desperate for. So I’d get your OH to double check her water bottle in her cage each day. Tap his finger under the spout and make sure it’s letting water out. If it’s a water bowl she has, check that regularly as well. She might need a few days observation as well (while she’s in her cage if he can’t handle her) just to see if she is moving around normally and no ill health etc. Just in case she ate something she shouldn’t have.

I thought it might be the kitchen! They go for the food smells.
 
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