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Hamster Houdinis

post #1 of 7
Thread Starter 

I've got two hamsters, a male and a female, kept getting out of their cages. We had the Habitrail, they were very good getting out. So we switched to10 gal glass acquariums. All is well until they both figure out how to climb up the water bottle if they can "jig" it to a corner, they would crawl out, paws on bottle side and wall side...grrrrr! So we found them, and put them in the cage again, removing the water bottle. The girl has been good so far, no escape. Now the boy, he is very persisent.  He would jig his plastic hamster house into a corner up high enough that he would reach the lip and push the metal cover off.

 

Man, it is getting to me! the male always escape and the only thing I could get him not to escape is to remove his home, his wheel and his water bottle, leaving him his water and food bowls and his bedding with newspaper strips. 

 

Twice he escaped, but found him in the kitchen in the stove drawer. Easy Peasy. Now he is finding his way downstairs in the basement....one time, he was gone for six days, found him in a cooler, no lid...its a wonder how he survived but good thing I found him when I was moving the bleach bottles. The last time, hubby found him in the shop vac LOL! Gone for two days...

 

Now he escaped this morning...so would a humane rat trap will catch him?????????? Any suggestions where I can trap him? He seems to favor the laundry room instead of the pantry room with carpet.

 

Love this little guy but man, he is something else! Hope to find him soon! Our cat is worthless, no help in finding him.

President of the Welsummer Club of North America & BYC Member since 4/11/2002 and Appenzeller Spitzhaubens

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President of the Welsummer Club of North America & BYC Member since 4/11/2002 and Appenzeller Spitzhaubens

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post #2 of 7

isn't there a top on your enclosure?

I have: Bantam Naked Necks, Mini Cheviot Sheep, Mini Rex, Jersey Wooly & Lionhead Rabbits
Wish List: CAE Free Nigerian Dwarfs or Pygmy goats.  Bantam NN's Quality Silkies, Runner Duck, LF Moderns, Bantam Cornish and Anything Chocolate!

 

Selling Locally: Hatching eggs, Mini Rex, Jersey Wooly & Lionhead Baby Bunnies

Re-homing: (free to BYC'rs) Mini Rex Rabbits: Blue Buck (Pedigreed), Black...

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I have: Bantam Naked Necks, Mini Cheviot Sheep, Mini Rex, Jersey Wooly & Lionhead Rabbits
Wish List: CAE Free Nigerian Dwarfs or Pygmy goats.  Bantam NN's Quality Silkies, Runner Duck, LF Moderns, Bantam Cornish and Anything Chocolate!

 

Selling Locally: Hatching eggs, Mini Rex, Jersey Wooly & Lionhead Baby Bunnies

Re-homing: (free to BYC'rs) Mini Rex Rabbits: Blue Buck (Pedigreed), Black...

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post #3 of 7
Set something heavy on top of the cage so he cant push it open..tongue.png

I prefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie. If someone is telling me the truth that is when i will give my heart. ~ Jack Nicholson 

Look! A ladder!! Maybe it leads to heaven, or a sandwich... 

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I prefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie. If someone is telling me the truth that is when i will give my heart. ~ Jack Nicholson 

Look! A ladder!! Maybe it leads to heaven, or a sandwich... 

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post #4 of 7

We've had all but one of our hamsters (six over the past few years) escape at least one time.  They really are crafty little buggers, and it's astounding how creative they can be with their little pea-sized brains.

 

Protip: don't try to outsmart the hamster.  Seriously.  Take the direct route, and do like Redhen suggested - put something heavy on top.  Hamsters are surprisingly strong, but there's only so much they can do when their little arms are busy pulling the rest of themselves up!  Find the weakness, remove the weakness.  One of my hamsters figured out how to pop the tubes and caps in a Habitrail cage, so we just replaced the cage.  I'll see if I can find a pic of the cages where there have been no escapes from.

 

Odd thing is, the only hamster of ours that hasn't escaped is a little Campbell's hamster, which I believe is a variety of dwarf hamster.  He's tiny, yet he's the only one who hasn't become an escape artist.

Christian, history nerd, and classical liberal!
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." - Thomas Jefferson

"Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms." - Ron Paul

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Christian, history nerd, and classical liberal!
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." - Thomas Jefferson

"Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms." - Ron Paul

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post #5 of 7

Put a cage out with a door open so he can climb in and put a trail of food into his cage thats how I caught my sisters three days later fond him sleeping in his cage the next morning.

post #6 of 7
Thread Starter 

We had that heavy metal cage cover (made for snakes and lizards) but that little bugger is strong! 

 

So far we have not found him yet. Will see if I can get the cage  set down for him to crawl in. Hope he does not take the food / bedding elsewhere if he decided to camp elsewhere other than his cage..

President of the Welsummer Club of North America & BYC Member since 4/11/2002 and Appenzeller Spitzhaubens

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President of the Welsummer Club of North America & BYC Member since 4/11/2002 and Appenzeller Spitzhaubens

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post #7 of 7

Not sure about hamsters, but when my gerbils get out, sometimes they fall for a cardboard paper towel tube innocently sitting on the floor, just waiting to be chewed up. Then you quietly put a box or your hands on top of him. Hamsters, I imagine would be a bit easier to catch with your hands, but I've never had any. 

 

You might try taunting him with treats, as well. Good luck!

Animal family: Two Betta fish, four White Cloud Minnows, two African Dwarf Frogs, two male gerbils, one quarter horse mare, one blind South Pole bull, five Blue Swedish Cayuga mix ducks, and one mini dachshund. 

 

My pets give me headaches, heartaches and tons of stress, they're hard on the wallet and give nothing back, but they are the light of my life. I wouldn't be who I am without them.

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Animal family: Two Betta fish, four White Cloud Minnows, two African Dwarf Frogs, two male gerbils, one quarter horse mare, one blind South Pole bull, five Blue Swedish Cayuga mix ducks, and one mini dachshund. 

 

My pets give me headaches, heartaches and tons of stress, they're hard on the wallet and give nothing back, but they are the light of my life. I wouldn't be who I am without them.

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