The Hamster Houdini

[ChemicalChaos]

So, my friend's baby syrian hamster has escaped from a locked and taped-up cage, into the floorboards of her boyfriend's flat in a multi-storey house.

They have laid out a ladder by a hole in the floor, with a trail of food leading up a ramp to an unclimbable bucket full of food. It's been 2 days now since the breakout, and my friend is very upset and very concerned. I have been reassuring her and trying to offer advice (I once had a hamster that escaped and was on the run for 9 days before being found fit and well in the garden...). All I can suggest really is to see if the trap works, and when the hamster does return, to place a camera by the cage (inside a wall of unclimbable objects) to see how the hamster got out int he first place. I can't think of anything that would tempt the hamster out of its hidey hole any quicker, apart from choccy treats which my friend says she doesnt have.
In case I've not thought of anything, has anyone got a better idea of how to tempt the hamster back to its cage? I know this assumes it hasnt gone any further than under the floor, but my friend seems pretty certain that this is the case.
Also, can anyone see how the cage is escapable when locked up?

Any advice would be most greatly appreciated!

The cage:



The trap:



The floor:

Edited by ChemicalChaos on Wednesday 9th April 01:35

[GAL001]

There was a hamster found in Gosport this morning, just thought I'd mention it just incase

[MacW]

Change the book, hamsters are mortally afraid of dragons.

We had a break out when I was at boarding school, we had 6 hamsters in the cage (2 orginal males my arse!) and they all went.

Nearly a year later one of the girls who worked in kitchens was telling us over a smoke that they regularly saw small hamster-like animals around the bins. It was many years ago but I like to think that Beany's (he was an albino) progeny are still creating a health risk at a certain Surrey public school

[ali_kat]

They'd be better off with a humane mousetrap & peanut butter

All it need to do is move in the bucket sufficiently for it to roll & fall to escape again

[HereBeMonsters]

I actually had a hamster named Houdini when I was a kid. He once escaped from his rotastak cage by standing on his hind legs, putting his hands up on the screw-down roof (to the "bedroom" unit) and walking in a counter-clockwise direction.

They really are clever little buggers.

[ChemicalChaos]

Thanks ali kat, I've passed that on. Another 2 nights with no sign of the hamster though, it looks like it has escaped further than under the floor, and my friend is trying to come to terms with the fact it may be gone for good.
I've told her to keep a good lookout around the grounds of the house, as in my experience they don't go too far once they do escape to the outdoors, and it may be living quite happily in a corner of the garden.

What does one say to comfort a girl who's lost her month-or-so old baby hamster?

[HereBeMonsters]

I can lend you a cat who is adept at catching these sorts of critters.

It may be returned slightly damaged, however.

[Fotic]

ChemicalChaos said:

Thanks ali kat, I've passed that on. Another 2 nights with no sign of the hamster though, it looks like it has escaped further than under the floor, and my friend is trying to come to terms with the fact it may be gone for good.
I've told her to keep a good lookout around the grounds of the house, as in my experience they don't go too far once they do escape to the outdoors, and it may be living quite happily in a corner of the garden.

What does one say to comfort a girl who's lost her month-or-so old baby hamster?

Just be honest, she'll appreciate honesty at a terrible time like this, and ask her?

'I haven't had sex before and would like to try and somehow use this sitch (do use this word too) to try and touch you. Where do you suggest I begin and please, please be brutal with me. If I've got to brush my teeth or tell my mum to leave the room then say the word honey (again, it's important you use this word) and it's going to happen. Stop crying please and look at this:'

At this point you show what I'm going to call the last hamster in the shop.

Putty.

[HereBeMonsters]

Fotic said:

Just be honest, she'll appreciate honesty at a terrible time like this, and ask her?

'I haven't had sex before and would like to try and somehow use this sitch (do use this word too) to try and touch you. Where do you suggest I begin and please, please be brutal with me. If I've got to brush my teeth or tell my mum to leave the room then say the word honey (again, it's important you use this word) and it's going to happen. Stop crying please and look at this:'

At this point you show what I'm going to call the last hamster in the shop.

Putty.

[anonymous-user]

HereBeMonsters said:

[ChemicalChaos]

HereBeMonsters said:

I'd like to second that

[Quhet]

Fotic said:

Just be honest, she'll appreciate honesty at a terrible time like this, and ask her?

'I haven't had sex before and would like to try and somehow use this sitch (do use this word too) to try and touch you. Where do you suggest I begin and please, please be brutal with me. If I've got to brush my teeth or tell my mum to leave the room then say the word honey (again, it's important you use this word) and it's going to happen. Stop crying please and look at this:'

At this point you show what I'm going to call the last hamster in the shop.

Putty.

[ali_kat]

ChemicalChaos said:

What does one say to comfort a girl who's lost her month-or-so old baby hamster?

Here, I bought you a replacement