How to capture a hamster?

[Ian]

A little background.. my wife and I recently adopted a hamster that one of my wife's friends was getting rid of. We've had hamsters in the past and I was expecting one of the small, fat, teddy bear ones that just layed around alot. Nope, this one was one of the full size hamsters. Very active. Runs in his wheel about 12 hours a day.

Anyway, we had it for a couple of months, then we noticed that he wasn't running in his wheel. wtf? Is he dead? Nope. He escaped. He climbed up his water bottle and popped off one of the caps on top of his plastic cage. This was about a week before Xmas.

Most people recommend putting the cage on the floor and letting the hamster return on its own. I guess they usually do that. This guy came and ate his food but never came back for good. I left his cage out over Xmas but it didn't look like he ate much so I thought the cats got him or he ran away.

Nope. This week my wife and I started hearing noises in the wall between the bathroom and laundry room. I moved a bunch of the junk in the laundry room and saw that he chewed a hole in the wall and was hanging out in there. Little bastard!

So last night I made a trap for him. I put some food in the bottom of a box and put a blanket around it so he could climb up and fall in (another suggestion off the web). This did work, but the little furball chewed a hole in the box and escaped!

Anyway, I'm going to try the same thing tonite but with a plastic garbage can. If he chews through this, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I don't want to kill him with a trap. Suggestions?

[dodecahedron]

a metal garbage can! let's see him chew his way out of that!

[bill]

ROFL... You could get that story published by Readers Digest!

That's a clever trap, sounds like it would work. If the little fella got wise to your trap you could try using a shop vac hose. Place one end over the hole and the other into the cage so he has to drop to the bottom. Or, just leave the hose on the vac with the top off

[CowboySlim]

Go to the dental supply and get some laughing gas, LOL, then grab him when he goes to sleep! LOL



Slim

[burninfool]

Give this guy a call:

[LoneWolf]

We used to have a live trap for mice at the last place I worked...a big plastic rectangular tube with a hinge door that only opened from the outside. You put food inside, mouse goes in, can't go out, and when you caught the mouse, you could get rid of it without killing it. They were pretty cheap.

Of course, there was the one time the owner's wife forgot to tell us that she re-baited the trap. Don't want to talk much more about that one....

[Ian]

I looked at those mouse traps. The holes on them are too small.

Just an update.. my wife didn't want me to try trapping him with a garbage can so I used an ice cream bucket she got from somewhere. Let's just say he jumped in, ate some food and jumped out again. Tonite I use the garbage can.

[cfitz]

Very crafty strategy, Ian. Lure that little bugger into a false sense of security that he can easily outwit any trap you imagine. Then, when you really decide to catch him it will be quite easy...

cfitz

[CowboySlim]

If venting the laughing gas into the hole doesn't put him to sleep where you can grab him, then you can try the dog technique. Cut another hole in the wall down at the other end and send in a little dog on in a harness with a long lead.

Slim

[Ian]

The garbage can did the trick. I got up this morning and there he was sitting in the bottom. He looked really pissed off too.

[JamieW]

I'd have shot him. Next time just man up.

[cfitz]

He looked really pissed off too.

No doubt already planning his next escape...

cfitz

[cfitz]

I'd have shot him. Next time just man up.

JamieW goes hamster hunting:




Note the license plate on the truck...

cfitz

[Ian]

Note the license plate on the truck...

If it was JamieW's.. it would say ONEGLOVE

As far as shooting it goes.. I haven't seen the thing in 2-3 weeks. Kinda hard to shoot it. I guess I coulda packed a few m80's in the hole in the wall or something though.

[BuddhaTB]

Glad you finally captured him. Where are you keeping the "prisoner" now?

Also, can we get some pics of the fellow?

[Ian]

He's back in his cage. I taped the top things on now so he can't get out. I'll try to get some pictures of him. All he wants to do lately is run in his wheel.

[JamieW]

Nice, cfitz.

Ian, have you considered shooting the dangerous beast now? There's no telling when he will escape again and nibble through transformers or, heaven forbid, your Boy George collection. He's a danger to society. Do the right thing. Protect all of us.

[Ian]

I might have to shoot him. He escaped again last night. I have a feeling I'm dealing with a mutant hamster. No rodent is this smart.

[cfitz]

That is one amazing (and determined) hamster. Maybe it really is time to call out Jamie and his Lahti.

cfitz

[CowboySlim]

I'd hire a beekeeper to smoke him out.

Slim

[LoneWolf]

I would get a lady hamster and lure him out with female companionship...Never underestimate the power of lust.

[dolphinius_rex]

I might have to shoot him. He escaped again last night. I have a feeling I'm dealing with a mutant hamster. No rodent is this smart.

Tape is *not* enough to stop a hamster from getting through a cage door. Most people I've known have to use twist tie's to "lock" the the door if it is a metal wire gate. Otherwise, use a heavy piece of wood.

Actually, setup a webcam on the cage to see how he escapes as well!

[CowboySlim]

I would get a lady hamster and lure him out with female companionship...Never underestimate the power of lust.

But make sure that she doesn't get away or you'll have plenty many hamsters.

Slim

[MediumRare]

I might have to shoot him. He escaped again last night. I have a feeling I'm dealing with a mutant hamster. No rodent is this smart.

Better watch out with this guy- he might get some reinforcements:



G

[cfitz]

Better watch out with this guy- he might get some reinforcements:

Like these?





cfitz