Panicking!!

[Caran]

I have Maggy to stay, she is a hamster belonging to grandchildren who have gone on holiday.I let her run round in her ball each night for a few hours, last night I let her run round on her own, having shut all doors out of lounge.
Tonight she had her ball run around then a run around on her own, she has been missing now for 45 minutes, I have searched with a torch and cannot find her. When do I go to pet shop and buy another one?

[4getmenot]

my brother looked after the school gerbil once through holidays, well part way through, he opened a door over it after letting it out to run round

[Hopkirk]

Put her favourite food in a bowl.

Sit and wait, holding something to put over her when she appears.

You may be there some time.

(I hope you haven't got a cat)

[ladybirder]

You'd better get down on your hands and knees and find her. When are they due back?

[wolf63]

I can't think of anything reassuring to say. They are tiny little things and it could be anywhere.

Wait until the day before the kids are due back.

[dotty.]

probably hiding in the pile of odd socks

[gness]

Three days for ours and then had to remove bath panel to get it out. Good luck!

[cupid04]

I can remember my sister bringing a gerbil home in the school summer holidays to look after. Of course it did the obvious and escaped. My dad had
to dismantle our gas fire to get to the little blighter and put it safely back in his cage!!!!

[slinkycat]

I lost one for a couple of days, it had managed to get behind the gas fire and into the chimney breast, came out covered in soot but otherwise none the worse after it's adventure, so don't panic yet!

[Caran]

Luckily I have 3 weeks until they come home. Dotty I matched 156 pairs, there are still 127 odd socks. I have a bowl of carrots, cabbage, melon and caulie on the carpet to try and tempt her,

[MASS1961]

Have all the food temptations in a "Corral" carandrog, only one way in then no way out. The little blighters will escape through the smallest gaps. I used to spend ages chasing my daughters guinea pig.
She will appear .......eventually, probably curled up asleep now!
Then maybe limit exercise to her ball!

[Caran]

She has finally appeared, put her in cage for food and drink, soon she spreadeagles herself on bar type door to show she wants to come out, put her in her ball for last hour beore we go to bed, thank heavens she came back.

[karenmac60]

I had a hamster turn up in my kitchen cupboard years ago. Turned out my upstairs neighbour had let it out for a run and it had disappeared on her. It must have chewed its way through the floor or something.

[Caran]

Karen that must have been so weird, just so glad Maggy returned,

[karenmac60]

It was bizarre. I heard a noise and so did my cats. But when I woke my ex he firstly insisted I just needed some sleep and then was convinced it was a rat. I ended up going and finding it myself and was quite disappointed when we found the owner a few days later. Glad you found Maggy. They're wee buggers when they get out :-)

[Answerprancer]

Rodents have a natural instinct to flee, make sure the wee beastie is properly contained ..ie DAAAAHNT let it happen again !

[tinkerbell23]

Lol caran sorry but that made me giggle! I can imagine the fear you had!! Wee bugger xx

[Caran]

Finally gathered her up from her ball meanderings and found the ball had quite lot of food inside it. She must have regurgitated it for later. Bed now, night all.

[Dee Sa]

we once had a hamster in a 7th flooor flat it managed to "escape" thru the bars of its cage,just got up next morning and it was gone ! we never did find it, kids cried buckets.
If you have to get a replacement Caran they will know ! anyway glad iys a happy ending.

[grange]

check behind the radiaters. We lost one once and eventually found it clinging to the wall behind a radiater. Found another one dead in it's cage another time---- that was horrible! Didn't think to replace it at the time though, but it might have been the easiest way round it!

[lankeela]

We had a coal cellar behind a door off the living room. Mine went under the door, down the step into the coal cellar and through a hole under the floor boards which my dad had to take up to get it out.