How To Find an Escaped Flyer in the House

[Joan]

How To Find an Escaped Flyer in the House
Edited From Lianne McLeod

Some pets are pretty good escape artists, and are also good at avoiding capture. Here is a game plan to help you find a lost pet in your house:

Start your search near the cage and go from there.
Check behind furniture along the baseboards.
Check under the furniture.
Check inside cabinets, drawers, shelves and bookcases. Check behind, in, and under any items in these places.
Remove cushions from couches and chairs, and check down the sides and back of the furniture.
Check the underside of furniture and beds for any holes through which a creature could climb inside the furniture/bed.
Check inside any boxes you have around the house, including tissue boxes.
Look inside any backpacks, purses, or other bags.
Look in boots and shoes, or any other small, dark hiding places you can think of.
Check the undersides and backs of appliances for holes your pet could have climbed into.
Make sure cage is left open, and place favorite treat or food around and in cage.
Place foil around the room (or crinkly plastic) in potential hiding places so you can hear your pet moving around.
Sprinkle some flour on the floor in areas where you suspect your pet might be hiding - you might get a set of footprints to help you.

Tips:
With Flyers, always look UP and check high places too.
Don't discount a hiding place because you think it is too small - small mammals can fit through surprisingly small spaces.
Since your pet is nocturnal, consider putting out its favorite treat after dark (e.g. in the cage), turning out the lights, and waiting.
Many flyers do consider their cage their home, and will return to it given the chance.
Make sure your home is flyer safe, and that your pet can get some food and water if they have been missing for longer than 12-24 hrs.

[witt1189]

They also like things like jackets and blankets draped over chairs.

[LaurenLovesFlyers]

If this helps any - my teacher just lost her flyer and told me the story.

Long story short - she heard a thud, thud, thud, in her kitchen. Her squirrel was in a flower vase on top of the cabinets.

[peep]

Set your favorite potted plant in the middle of the floor. I have yet to encounter one that doesn't love a good, messy dust bath! Then follow the muddy foot-prints!

Yes, Powder makes the biggest mess, and just revels in it.
peep

[kcbuster33]

Closets, mine heads for the closet every time my little brother lets him loose.


And incase it isnt obvios, remove any mice traps or sticky traps. chips mom got in to o sticky trap a day or two before chip was born. its a wonder the babies lived through all the stress. oh and if that happens to any of your fliers, DONT try to pull them off. make sure they can breath and then pour cooking oil on them, they will pull them selves off. then quickly and easily wipe them off and putt them in one of those plastic pet boxes and place lots of wet towels in it. after a dayor two after they've calmed down and are no longer stressed out, clean them thurohly.

I should probably put this on the emergancy list.

[Tamis]

When my furry butt got out I tried the chasing like a crazy woman for 2 nights in a row. Then i wisened up and got a Hav-A-Hart live animal trap and loaded it with peanut butter and an apple slice. I had him within the hour. It is a scary thing to worry about losing your baby or what they might get into.

[4tupelo]

Good ideas thankyou...when I read the post about cooking oil though I thought most cooking oil actually used to cook is not good for the flyers owners...just google..though a good coconut oil is best..expensive but we put good oil in our vehicles we may as well take care of ourselves as well///
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... ce&dbid=84
also this link shows a good source of calcium.....tupelo an I would eat these 'nose to nose' off toast...hmm I remeember him swiping at the butter tasting ( I use organic) an swiping for more...funny though ate the seeds again but passed on the butter....the link is good for H.O.F. health so as we too can be at our best for our friends...

[malerris21]

Great site! Thanks

[pinkhatter]

Well I made the big mistake one night of not locking the door to the cage. I laid down with my Bichon who loves to snuggle and he would not settle down and kept looking toward the cage. I should have paid attention to him but did not. Later I walked by the cage and had the shock of my life when this little fury thing came flying off the desk next to the cage right on to me. Problem was I had the at the time and no idea where the other one was. I looked every placed and panicked. That is when it hit me to ask the Bichon to track. Something most people do not teach a small dog but I did years ago. He sniffed around went over to the bathroom door and sat and low and behold the MIA flyer was sitting on the door knob.

Now I do not recommend this as unless the dog is trained very well and trained not to go after but just alert you to what ever they are tracking. Also they must be use to tracking other animals other wise they may try to bring you flyer back to you like a ball.

I can tell you I have never made the mistake of not locking the door again.

[Ohatsie]

This thread will prove super useful I'm sure. Ive got shelves FULL of knickknacks and ridiculous curios that soon will be hiding spots for one of the little furballs.

@Tamis; I didnt think they made live animal traps that were big enough for flyers, where did you pick it up?

[lilbitsquirrely]

I found that taking a nut,like pecan, or hazel nut, and rub two together my Flyer will wake up and come right to me. Also I have taken a nut and rubbed it across my Wedding ring and they will come to me to get it.I guess they think they are missing out on a nut I might be eating You know how jealous and Greedy the little s can be.

[SugarPuff]

When I let my little SugarPuff out she will always return to her cage when she is through playing.

[Joan]

When I let my little SugarPuff out she will always return to her cage when she is through playing.

Yes, mine too. I just leave the cage door open all night and in the morning they are in bed. This works with established flyers.

[FilNil]

HELP!
My new adolescent flyer is running loose somewhere. I brought him into my flyer proof bathroom for some bonding time and let him explore and get more comfortable. When I finally got up from my little corner to bring him back into his cage, I couldn’t find him!
He’s a shy and sleepy fella so I know he’s snuggled up somewhere and snoozing but I don’t know how to lure him out. Any suggestions? He hasn’t formed a bond with me yet so he’s not clingy at all and I’m very worried about him.

[Joan]

If you have a small enough cage to put in the bathroom with his nestbox and food supply see if he goes to that during the night. Also, check under the sink cabinet if you have one. There are hand holes for installation. I plugged these up the small towels ... wait until he returns to the cage in case he went in there. He will look for food and water.

[tivs]

You might also be able to draw him out with some nuts or the scent of something nutty. Someone mentioned peanut butter in a previous post. If that doesn't work, you could try crushing some actual nuts. I guess crushing them releases the oils and spreads the scent more. Pecans are best, I've found.

[Joan]

Any luck so far?