Have you just lost your hamster, or is it prone to disappearing the instant you look away? Hamsters are small, energetic, and fast, so it’s easy to lose track of them. So how do you find a lost hamster?
You can find a lost hamster by looking for it in a warm and dark hiding spot, like under the bed or couch, in a drawer, or underneath a pillow. You can also look for it near a food source or on something it can climb, like a stool or window seat.
In this article, I’ve explained what can stress your hamster out and possible hiding spots. I also cover how you can search for a lost hamster or lure it out of its hiding spot.
How To Find a Missing Hamster?
Hamsters constantly try to find a more comfortable or stress-free place. They stay in place instead of wandering if they feel safe in their cage or designated areas. If your hamster keeps running to different parts of the house, it could be because it’s scared.
You can search for your missing hamster in dark, warm, and dry spots. Hamsters often hide in cozy, dark places like under the furniture, beneath bedsheets, behind curtains, etc. If you can’t find your hamster in these places, look for it in the kitchen or near any other food source.
Remember that there is a reason why your pet is trying to escape. You should look for the reason it keeps escaping. It might not feel safe or comfortable in its cage, so changing the location of the cage or making it more comfortable could prevent it from running away.
If it’s not actively trying to escape but simply wandering off when the opportunity arises, that’s normal. Hamsters are naturally very curious. They like to explore their surroundings, run around, and climb wherever possible.
How To Find an Escaped Hamster?
Hamsters only try to escape when they have a reason to, and that reason is most likely stress. The lock on your hamster’s cage might have broken or not closed properly, or the hamster might have bitten their way through the cage. When a hamster actively tries to leave its cage, it most likely isn’t out of curiosity.
You can look for an escaped hamster by searching for possible hiding spots. Hamsters are prone to hide somewhere warm and dark, where they feel comfortable and safe. They can climb to higher-level hiding spots, so don’t limit your search to the ground only.
The most common spots to search are:
- Underneath or on your couch
- Beneath pillows or blankets
- On or under your bed
- Inside open cabinets and drawers
- Near or inside your laundry basket
- Behind furniture.
Watch every step you take when looking for your hamster, and never sit down on anything before checking if it is on or underneath it.
How To Find a Lost Hamster in the House?
If you like to let your hamster walk around and explore the house, you must constantly keep an eye on it. Hamsters are fast and small and can quickly disappear if you don’t keep track of them.
If they aren’t actively hiding anywhere but simply exploring the house, it isn’t a cause for concern. Hamsters have a lot of energy, and exploring is one way to use it.
On the other hand, accidents are more likely to happen when people are around. With how small they are, you could accidentally step on them without noticing.
You can find a lost hamster near a food source or somewhere they can climb. Hamsters generally look for small, cozy places to hide. You can find them under furniture or near food if they’re exploring.
If your hamster gets tired during exploration, it might try to find a comfortable hiding spot to sleep. This tendency to nap in other places doesn’t mean it’s scared of you or trying to escape its cage. Hamsters simply like to rest whenever they feel tired.
How To Get Your Hamster to Come Out of Hiding?
When you finally find your hamster in a hiding spot, it could be somewhere you can’t reach, or your hamster might be too scared to come out.
Luring your hamster out of its hiding spot will take time, patience, and some tasty snacks. You should remove anything nearby that might cause them stress, like loud music, a vacuum, other pets, or children. Make sure your hamster can come out of its hiding spot into a safe place.
To lure your hamster out of hiding, make the room dark and quiet and leave some of its favorite snacks out. If your hamster has found its way to the food, you can quietly approach it, sit next to it and wait until it finishes eating.
Why Do Hamsters Escape?
Hamsters don’t usually try to escape or run away when they feel safe and happy. They do so when they feel threatened or stressed. Once you figure out what could cause this stress, you can make changes to improve your hamster’s well-being.
Your hamster may be trying to escape because its current environment isn’t comfortable or safe. Certain things like the size of the cage, loud noises, other animals, sudden movements, bright light, or extreme temperatures can cause distress.
Hamsters Dislike Bright Lights
Hamsters have impaired vision, so bright lights can completely blind them. Their bad eyesight also makes them sensitive to sudden movement. They might get spooked and run away if you approach them too suddenly.
If your hamster’s cage is in a place with bright lights, it will probably keep escaping to find a darker corner.
Hamsters Are Sensitive To Sound
Hamsters can hear sounds that people can’t. If you have any devices around that make a constant high-frequency noise, it can drive them crazy.
Don’t keep your hamster in the kitchen where you have a fridge, freezer, and microwave, and don’t put their cage in an office near computers. Loud noises, like music on high volume, people screaming, or things falling onto the ground, can significantly stress them.
Instead, keep the cage in a relatively quiet room, far away from appliances like TVs, fridges, or microwaves.
Hamsters Need Appropriately Sized Cages
The size of your hamster’s cage is more important than you think. Hamsters like to run around, play, and sleep comfortably inside the cage. If they don’t have enough space, they will get depressed and stressed and escape to find a more comfortable spot.
A hamster’s cage should be big enough for it to run around, jump, and climb. Ideally, you should also be able to fit a hamster wheel, some toys, and a feeding area.
If your hamster cage isn’t big enough, you can go for a cage like the Luara Active Hamster Cage on Amazon. This cage includes a multiple-level play area for your hamster and a dark box to sleep in. The play area is perfect for active hamsters.
Final Thoughts
Hamsters escape for multiple reasons. While some hamsters just like to explore or wander, repeated escape attempts could signify a bigger issue.
If your hamster keeps running away, it could be because it’s stressed or scared. In such cases, the hamster will usually look for a dark, dry, and warm place to hide.
You should figure out what is stressing it out to prevent it from escaping. You can then change its environment to make it more comfortable.