[alpacassei]

If you haven’t already, I recommend adding a good 15+cm of substrate so he can burrow, some dwarfs get stressed when they can’t burrow properly. Also a good size sandbath is important!

Terracota pots, safe natural wood chews (apple and willow are my hams favourites), whimzees, cork pieces, resin reptile hides, coconut hides, and pebbles are some of my favourite items to add to my hamsters’s cages. Giving them a good variety of textures and different sized toys to explore, chew, and climb/hide in is great for their enrichment. Adding hay and/or droed flower/herb mixes to areas of their cages adds new and interesting smells/textures too.
Scatterfeeding also keeps them busy and encourages foraging , as well as giving them nuts still in the shell (tho sometimes you have to make the first hole for them) and millet sprays.

Some hamsters will be completely happy in their cages and still run up to the cage edge and pat/scratch at it as a sign they want to come out and play as well, my mishka was like that! If he’s only doing it when he sees/hears you in the room and doesnt seem stressed then I souldnt worry too much.