[Pebbles82]

Yes that's a good idea, to get everything right before you move Jin. The other thing is to be careful when moving them over. You need to move all the old substrate and items without cleaning anything and try and have them in the same location/similar position as before, if possible. So it is more familiar. A cage change is very stressful for them and they need another couple of weeks settling in time, during which they can be very skitty - although that settling in time can be lessened.

I find it really helps to partly set up the new cage, a couple of days before moving them over - ie fill it with new substrate, and have 2 or 3 toys in there - maybe new ones you're intending to add, or cardboard tunnels etc. With the wood already plastikoted ready etc.

And let the hamster have a play in it the day before moving. When I did this our hamster panicked after about 10 minutes and was scrabbling to come out so I popped him back in his old familiar cage and he settled down. But later on, in the evening (first try had been early evening), he was wanting to come out and go back in the new one again (I could tell!) and the second time in it he spent ages in there exploring everything and giving me happy looks, finding favourite places, checking things out. You can tell when they approve!.

I then moved him back to his old cage again overnight and the following day moved everything over (you need somewhere safe to put the hamster while you're doing this - maybe a pet carrier?

As the old cage is smaller, take all the old substrate and spread it on top of the new you have put in the new cage. Then move all the rest across, trying to keep same orientation as before, and add any new things you're planning to add. Resist the temptation to clean everything before moving it, so the new cage and items has their scent.

Doing it this way our hamster was fully settled in 2 or 3 days - a bit skitty for the first 2 days. The first time I upgraded him I did it cold turkey and it was very distressing to see the stress he had and the fear. Although within 10 days he was fine.

So when getting ideas for set ups, just bear in mind it helps to keep some of the old items in the same place as before. I had new house and wheel when I changed our hamster over, but I put them in the same layout as in his old house, and lifted his nest and hoard across and put them back inside the house. Also put a big pile of new nesting material out somewhere in the cage, as they liketo refurbish the nest. (Torn up strips of plain white toilet paper are best).