Getting another hamster

Question
My daughter's hamster escaped and it has been over a week. First, how long can she survive? And what more can I do to try and find her? Also, my daughter is devistated and I have promised to get her another hamster on her birthday which is Aug 29. I only have one cage so if we find the first one, can the 2 of them share. Princess is a girl and she is fluffy and blonde. Any advice would be great. My daughter is 7 and she loves her hamster more than anything,so this is a very emotional situation. thanks  Lori

Answer
Hello, I am sorry your hamster escaped. There are a few things you can do to try to get the hamster back, generally after a week it's very hard to find them because they may have left the house. You can look for droppings and look under furniture and in small corners of the house like closets and stuff. Hamsters wouldn't survive more than a week or so without water. If you did find the hamster and you bought another one the two would fight and you would have a bigger problem on your hand. Place the cage you have now on the floor and place some food outside and inside the cage. Sometimes they will find it and climb back in the cage. Those are the best things to do. Many hamsters hide under furniture and in small tight places. That's where I've found choobles when he escapes. He always finds the darkest places and corners for some reason. Good luck finding him, but if you haven't found him by her birthday I would get another one. Happy Early Birthday to your daughter too!!!