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Pebbles82 · 07-12-2017, 07:13 PM

Hello. The fact he is now sitting in the corner and less active coincided with a change in his cage (eg change of wheel) could well affect his behaviour. Especially if he really liked his old wheel or if the new one smells different or isn't easy to run in. It might have freaked him out a bit. The way to tell if he is ok, healthwise, maybe, is to have him out of the cage for a while and see if he is acting normally and active. If you can rig up a playpen so you have a hamster safe area for him to run in (you could maybe put his old wheel in it as well, unless it's unsafe). If rigging up a playpen (you can use cardboard and bulldog clips but need to keep an eye or they can chew through or push underneath) then if you have a bathtub, that can make a secure place for them to run around with a few toys (dry of course! And with the plug in).

Does the new wheel spin ok? And is he using it? You could try putting a treat inside it (this always tempted mine back to his wheel - he used to stop using it after it was cleaned) and put a big of paper on top when you go to bed and see if it's still there in the morning (toilet paper I mean).

If he still shows no interest out of the cage or is looking hunched and sitting still that could be a sign of pain. Have you checked him for any injuries? I guess you have as you spotted his man parts! Also does the new wheel have a flat running surface? The ones with a metal grid running surface can cause a condition called bumblefoot that is very painful on their feet pads. Plus most of the metal rung wheels are unsafe and hammies can get trapped or injured in them. I'm guessing you upgraded the wheel for some reason like that though. Some wheels just don't spin well and are a bit stiff so you could check that too.

07-12-2017, 07:13 PM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: please help! Hello. The fact he is now sitting in the corner and less active coincided with a change in his cage (eg change of wheel) could well affect his behaviour. Especially if he really liked his old wheel or if the new one smells different or isn't easy to run in. It might have freaked him out a bit. The way to tell if he is ok, healthwise, maybe, is to have him out of the cage for a while and see if he is acting normally and active. If you can rig up a playpen so you have a hamster safe area for him to run in (you could maybe put his old wheel in it as well, unless it's unsafe). If rigging up a playpen (you can use cardboard and bulldog clips but need to keep an eye or they can chew through or push underneath) then if you have a bathtub, that can make a secure place for them to run around with a few toys (dry of course! And with the plug in). Does the new wheel spin ok? And is he using it? You could try putting a treat inside it (this always tempted mine back to his wheel - he used to stop using it after it was cleaned) and put a big of paper on top when you go to bed and see if it's still there in the morning (toilet paper I mean). If he still shows no interest out of the cage or is looking hunched and sitting still that could be a sign of pain. Have you checked him for any injuries? I guess you have as you spotted his man parts! Also does the new wheel have a flat running surface? The ones with a metal grid running surface can cause a condition called bumblefoot that is very painful on their feet pads. Plus most of the metal rung wheels are unsafe and hammies can get trapped or injured in them. I'm guessing you upgraded the wheel for some reason like that though. Some wheels just don't spin well and are a bit stiff so you could check that too.