When we arrived home with my new hamster we wrapped her cardboard carrier box in a jacket and whisked her inside. I washed my hands free of all germs with a nice gushy soap, then we headed to my bedroom where the cage was located, and we opened the box and peeked in at little Beanie.

Getting Bitten

All I wanted was to feel that cloud-like fur again! I reached inside the box and let her sniff me, then there was a slow-motion moment of her leaning forward, sniffing, looking repulsed, kind of snarling, then she bit me. It didn’t really hurt much, just a bit of a pinchy sensation. The worst part about getting bitten was that sickening kind of crunchy-chomp noise as my flesh gave way to her sharp incisors.

She got me right under the edge of my middle fingernail, and I immediately started bleeding. I rushed to the bathroom and cleaned the wound with antiseptic, bandaged it, and went back to find my siblings had gently dumped Beanie into the cage from the little box. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

My disappointment evaporated as I watched the tiny hamster explore her new cage. She was so little and curious and cute, I was already in love with her! My sister and I stayed up late that night just admiring the precious little rodent now in my care.

Why I Dislike Wire Cages

After Beanie discovered her eight inch wheel that fit her very well at the time she spent most of the night running on it, until she had to use the bathroom. Since her first cage was an awful 3 tiered wire cage she just backed into a corner and sprayed pee all over the floor. We stared a moment, then my sister started shrieking with laughter as I got some paper towels. I don’t believe I will ever have another wire cage.

How To Really Catch An Untamed Escapee Hamster

Beanie explored the cage, ate, drank, and appeared to be very well settled, so we went to bed. My bedroom floor is covered with those colourful foam puzzle mats, so you can hear footsteps on them. At 6:00am the next morning I was awake, not sure why until I realized I heard footsteps scuttling across the mats. I peeked over the edge of my bed and saw a little whitish blob moving across the floor. I lay still a moment considering the options. The Plan Of Action:

1. Barricade the hamster in a corner.
2. Build a bucket trap.
3. Wait for the hamster to go in.

I spent an hour barricading the hamster in a corner and making the trap with my 10 inch Home Depot bucket to discover she had squeezed past my barricade. So much for that idea. I recalled the decaf coffee I’d drank last night, and how I still had my cat mug in my bedroom. The New Plan Of Action That Actually Worked:

1. Get my cat mug.
2. Smear peanut butter in the bottom.
3. Locate hamster.
4. offer mug.
5. Scoop/let hamster get into mug.
6. Put hamster back into cage in mug.

Plan #2 worked like a charm and took 5 minutes, definitely recommend! So when I put Beanie back into her cage she climbed to the second level, scaled the bars and squeezed through a wider gap in the bars, where I caught her in her hamster ball. (I do not use hamster balls anymore and do not recommend them for safety reasons.) I located a piece of wire and fastened it in the gap to prevent any more escaping, then put little Beanie back. I honestly think anyone who uses the bucket trap method is wasting their time. I have a DIY Cardboard Hamster Trap coming soon to the DIY section, try that out too.

The next morning Beanie ran in her wheel until noon, then she went to sleep. She apparently didn’t care about anything but being fit.

I then gave her three full days and nights to settle in until I began taming.

I hope you found this post informative and entertaining. If you’re interested in more hamster-related content be sure to like this post and follow the blog, and I’ll be back on Tuesday with more small pet care, DIYs, recipes, cage setups, stories and more, have a ham-tastic day!

Summary:

• I think there are faster ways to catch a hamster than the bucket method.
• Hamster balls are unsafe, hamsters are known to catch their toes in the ventilation holes.
• Expect your new pet to love having their own wheel!
• Don’t wash your hands with pomegranate scented soap 🙄
• Handle being bitten calmly; leave the hamster in a safe enclosed space while you treat a bite with antiseptic and bandaids.
• Be prepared to be picking/cleaning things off your floor if you have a wire cage.