[10Minutes]

I think Louise burrows out of curiosity, and in the spirit of exploration. I was gently piling her substrate higher yesterday, and she started burrowing immediately right next to my hand. She doesn't like her bedding that much usually though, and always removes 99% of the bedding from her nest. She seems like an abnormal little lady and has taken to dozing off in spots that doesn't have bedding, even if it means she has to sleep in open space.

I've used the original paper bedding from the shop where I got her at - it's got her smell in it and all, but she didn't like it. I've used new wood shavings (aspen) and she doesn't like it either. She just kicked it out out of her nest frantically, so I soon learnt that I shouldn't put any kind of bedding directly in her nest. She'll gather a few strips of tissue in her pouch and roll it into neat balls for nesting material herself, but that's about it.

I don't think Louise has burrowed to store food, or burrowed tunnels leading off her nest (so for her it's a different network that really leads nowhere, she kind of likes burrowing along the perimeter of her cage). I'm not sure if all hamsters are the same though, maybe they all have different reasons for burrowing.

Edit: But it is possible that she burrows for different reasons (storing food etc) when I'm not watching her, lol.