What to do if your guinea pig or small rodent goes missing

First, contain the search

1. Close doors and windows. Check for open vents, gaps under doors and other routes out of the room where your pet was last seen.
2. Tell everyone at home that the pet is missing. Pause vacuuming, laundry and other noisy work until the area has been checked.
3. Put a secure carrier on the floor nearby. Add familiar bedding and suitable food for your pet. Keep the carrier open while you watch it, then close it securely when your pet is inside.

For a hamster, use a carrier they cannot chew through. Woodgreen Pets Charity recommends a hard plastic carrier rather than cardboard for transport, with some familiar bedding inside.

Search inside, one room at a time

Begin at the enclosure and work outward. Look along walls, behind and beneath furniture, inside safe open boxes and bags, under blankets, and around stored items. Use a flashlight to see into gaps before touching anything. Check the room fully before opening its door again.

Look for shelter as well as movement. The RSPCA's hamster housing advice describes how hamsters use hiding places and nesting material. Woodgreen's guinea pig advice also calls for tunnels and hiding spaces. These are reasons to check covered, quiet spots carefully; they do not tell you where this individual pet went.

If a pet can fit under a cabinet or behind an appliance, look with a light first. Do not move a heavy item alone or switch on an appliance until you know the space is clear. Make a note of rooms and gaps you have checked so you can revisit them without losing track.

If you cannot see them

Lower the noise and sit quietly near the last known room. Put a small amount of their usual food where you can watch it, with a familiar hide or carrier nearby. Check it regularly rather than assuming that missing food proves your pet visited; another animal could have taken it.

For a hamster, another quiet check after dark may help: the RSPCA describes hamsters as active at night. Keep the room contained while you wait. If you hear movement, use a light and approach slowly.

If they got outside

Check the nearest cover first: beneath nearby furniture, shrubs, sheds and steps, and along the edges of the escape area. Ask before entering a neighbor's property. Tell nearby neighbors what species to look for and ask them to check enclosed spaces before moving things. Keep a photo and a secure carrier with you.

Contact local animal shelters, rescues and veterinary clinics with a photo, the species, your contact details and the last known location. Check back for found-pet reports. The RSPCA's general lost-pet advice recommends contacting local vets and rehoming centers and checking local found reports. Tell each group that this is a small pet so the report is clear.

When you find them

Get low and move slowly. If your pet approaches a familiar hide or carrier, let them enter and close it securely. If you need to pick up a guinea pig, support their body with both hands and keep them close to the ground; Woodgreen's handling guide explains why a wriggling guinea pig can be dropped. For other species, use the handling method your pet is used to and avoid grabbing or squeezing.

Once safe, offer their usual food and water and look for injury or unusual behavior. If they seem hurt, weak, cold, or are not eating, contact a veterinarian experienced with your species. Check the enclosure and the route they used before putting them back.

Sources used for this guide

Species care and handling: Woodgreen hamster care, Woodgreen guinea pig handling, and RSPCA hamster environment. The outside alert steps follow the RSPCA's lost-pet advice. The room-by-room checklist is a practical search plan, not a claim about where a missing pet will be.