How Do I Catch a Hamster Without Killing It?

Hamsters are notorious for being talented escape artists. They can squeeze through impossibly small spaces and chew through plastic cages. They can even jump or climb over the walls of their cage if the opportunity presents itself. If you are a hamster owner, it is likely you will have to deal with an escaped hamster at some point. If your hamster gets loose, do not panic. There are many ways to go about catching your hamster without doing it any harm.

Things You'll Need

  • Hamster food
  • Aluminum foil
  • Hamster cage
  • Piece of wood
  • Plastic bucket or container
  • Pieces of fruit
  • Building blocks
  • Bedding
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine which room the hamster is hiding in. You can do this by leaving bits of food along running boards and in the corners of various rooms before you go to bed. In the morning, check the food, and if the food has been eaten from a certain room you can bet your hamster has built a nest in that room. You can also place squares of aluminum foil in each room and sprinkle food on top. At night, listen for the sound of the foil rustling to determine where you hamster is.

    • 2

      Seal off any exits from the room in which your hamster is hiding. Keep all doors and windows closed and seal off any air vents. Look under the furniture and in every possible hiding place in that room to see if you can find and catch the hamster. If your hamster manages to get into the basement or a storage room, you may not be able to find the hamster just by looking for it.

    • 3

      Set up the hamster cage in the room where your hamster is hiding. Push the side of the cage up against the wall in the corner of the room and use a piece of wood to make a ramp from the floor through the door of the cage. Your hamster may wander back into the cage on its own during its nightly explorations.

    • 4

      Set a trap for your hamster. Position a plastic bucket, at least 10 inches deep, or some other large container along the wall in the room where you know your hamster is hiding. Lay a thin piece of wood across the mouth of the container and line it with hamster food and pieces of fruit. The piece of wood should be just long enough to reach across the mouth of the container.

    • 5

      Build a ramp leading up to the rim of the container by leaning a wider piece of wood against the container or use building blocks to construct a ramp or set of stairs. Sprinkle a trail of food leading up the stairs and onto the piece of wood laid across the opening.

    • 6

      Fill the container with at least an inch of soft bedding to cushion your hamster if it falls in. When the hamster encounters the food trail, it should follow it up to the mouth of the container. When the hamster steps onto the piece of wood to get at the fruit, the wood will shift and the hamster should tumble into the bucket and be unable to climb out.

    • 7

      Check your trap every morning until your hamster is caught. Once you have succeeded in catching your hamster, check the cage to determine how the hamster got out in the first place. Make any necessary repairs or seal up the area your hamster used to escape.