How to Build a Hamster Trap

If your child has a pet hamster, once in a while she may forget to secure the lid or door on her hamster cage. Sometime during the night you will probably have a runaway pet hamster. Hamsters are very curious and love to explore. It's possible to use this knowledge to your benefit and create a hamster trap that will safely and securely keep your pet hamster in one spot until you retrieve him in the morning.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic bucket
  • Towel
  • Books
  • Sunflower seeds
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fold or crumple up the towel and place it in the bottom of a bucket. Make sure that the bottom of the bucket is covered with a thick layer of toweling material to give your hamster a soft place to land in the trap.

    • 2

      Place the bucket in the room where you think your pet hamster is most likely to be hiding. If you've spotted him or signs of his being nearby, this room is the most likely place to trap him. Otherwise, start with the room that his cage resides in.

    • 3

      Build a staircase out of books, from the floor to the top of the bucket. Make sure that you use enough books to create many secure landings that a hamster can negotiate.

    • 4

      Spread a trail of sunflower seeds from the floor of the room, up the staircase and into the bucket. Sprinkle a small pile of seeds onto the towel in the bucket to leave your hamster a treat for after she is caught.

    • 5

      Turn out the lights and leave your hamster trap alone overnight. Your pet hamster will most likely follow the trail of seeds up the staircase and into the bucket. She can't get out of the bucket again, so she'll be waiting in the morning for you to return her to her hamster cage.