Renegade Hampster at Large

[bugstruck]

Geez. I didn't know where better to ask or put this one. I had a tenant that just moved out of an apartment and it seems they had a hampster that got loose sometime before the move. Guess the "No Pets" rule didn't mean much. Seems they forgot to tell me upon departure and just stopped by today to see if my other Tenant had heard or seen a hampster. That won't happen unless the little bugger eats through drywall. Seems they also spent two additional nights after they had moved the furniture out trying to lure this thing out, so I'm now advised. All this is after a full security deposit refund of course. They were rather good Tenants other than this. So here's the dilemma. I don't have a clue how to trap or catch a hampster short perhaps of a rat trap of some type or poison. I'd really rather this thing not crawl up into the walls and decompose for a month or so while I can't re-rent the apartment. I also don't want to lease to someone until I know this is resolved. No renter deserves that. It's a very nice apartment repainted and cleaned, ready to go. I'd really rather not kill the darn thing although I'm not beyond that if it's the only option. Anybody got any ideas on what to do with this one?

 

[shvl73]

Have you thought of trying a Hav-A-Hart trap?

 

[Paddy]

So..uh Chris you got holes a hamster can just hide?? Most apts and homes that are EMPTY, there is no place to lose a hamster. Maybe you need a few snakes from that plane! And some dry wall patch.

Kidden aside

You might lay a box on it's side with nice cudly bedding/water/food

 

[GuglioLS]

Try a google or yahoo search for hamster rescue. Perhaps you will find a local animal rescue group willing to go catch it for you, take it away on the spot and find a good owner for the little bugger.

I found this one Clike Here

 

[goaliedad]

way back when I was just a little feller I had a hamster- well it got out of the cage on night and must have curled up in some dirty laundry. The laundry shoot went to the basement. In the basement was a nice big built in storage cabinet. After looking high and low for the little fur ball, my mother heard some noise in the storage cabinet. Dad had to do a minor deconstruction of said cabinet to retrieve the rodent. at least my mom liked it!
When my brother and I brought home a nice big crawfish, and my mother found it crawling on the bedroom floor all she did was scoop it up with a newspaper and promptly deposited in the front lawn!
sorry I can't help you with the "how to" question, but was reminded....

 

[MossRoad]

Find out what room they kept it in and put a live trap in there with some nuts, cut apples and a bit of peanut butter. If he doesn't show up in a few days, chances are he was in their belongings when they left and not in the house anymore.

The hampster use to get out at my kids' day care once in a while. Unfortunately, they'd usually find him or her under a pile of toys or smooshed between a toybox and a wall.

 

[Bird]

I think I was in the second or third grade in school when I acquired a pair of hamsters from an aunt. I don't remember how many I raised before we got rid of all of them, but I do remember taking one to school once to show the teacher and other kids. This was a school out in the country with all 12 grades in one building. And I sure remember how upset the janitor was when he saw that hamster. He said he had a tough enough job keeping the rats and mice down in the building and if that hamster got loose and crossbred with the rats, he'd have something that wasn't afraid of humans. He was quite adamant that no hamsters be allowed on the premises in the future.

 

[bugstruck]

So..uh Chris you got holes a hamster can just hide?? Most apts and homes that are EMPTY, there is no place to lose a hamster. Maybe you need a few snakes from that plane! And some dry wall patch.

Kidden aside

You might lay a box on it's side with nice cudly bedding/water/food

Yeah Paddy, I or someone left the bathtub plumbing access panel unscrewed and just leaning there. I think the hampster went in there. No other place for it to go. I see a few hampster dropping just inside. I think the tenant must have tried the lure them into a nice comfy place routine to no avail. I'll do a search for have a heart and see what comes up. That snake would do it. So would my dog.

Appreciate the ideas guys.

 

[bugstruck]

Bird,

My mother went to a school with all 12 grades. The same school was my 1st and 2nd grade school. My 1st grade teacher was Mom's 1st grade teacher. Now we have over a dozen schools in the same area. A few older adults went to a one room school house in the northern part of our county back in the 20's and 30's as I recall. My Great Great Grandfather, whom was passed before my time, was the last hanging sheriff in the county. Had a deputy who had studied the history advise me of that a few years back. My Great Grandfather was his lone deputy. Nothing like nepotism I suppose. Guess the family forgot to pass that little "hanging" tidbit along in the family storytelling. They used to round the bad guys up on horseback and sometimes they'd be out for a week or more running them down and staying at various farms and friends along the way. Certainly was a completely different world back then. Bet that was before your time?

Thankfully I've never had any other vermin in the place. So I guess I'm not subject to having a family of Ratsters running around. I liked David's idea on nuts, apples and peanut butter. I'll have to give that a go assuming I can locate those traps. Time for a trap hunt.....

Take care Bird

 

[JerryG]

My kids have two hamsters. I can't imagine a fully cleaned apartment that you can't find a hamster in. If it is a nice apartment like it sounds, I bet that it's already gone.