Emptying pouches in wheel?

[wandofwillow]

So I have a fairly urgent question because I got the worst night of sleep last night ever, and I started college today.

Basically, Mosrael pouched a bunch of the food I gave him last night and proceeded to run in his wheel. I went to bed, but had to wake up every 20 minutes or so to empty out his wheel because he'd spit food into it and then run which was REALLY loud.

So I emptied the wheel probably four times before I just took it out at like 2 AM (he's usually awake from 8:30ish - early morning, maybe 5 or 6?) so I could sleep and deal with it in the morning.

I checked Mosrael's cage this morning though and the tubes I put in last week (and which were hardly used) were in complete disarray, as were the cardboard pieces I had covered them with. He's always seemed to use the wheel a little to much so I'm wondering: should I be taking out the wheel around midnight anyway? By midnight he has usually been out for playtime and then on the wheel for two hours straight. Were the messy tubes a sign of him playing or a sign of him going stir crazy? I'm only confused because a few people have said that while a wheel is the most important piece or a cage, it also shouldn't be offered all the time.

If I shouldn't take out the wheel at all, what can I do to prevent the pouching?

Sorry for this wall of text.

[TraceyH]

My Antonio hamster used to do the same when I first got him and put him into a fantazia cage. The connecting tube on it from top floor to the bottom floor he would completely fill up with bedding and woodshavings and food too.

Anyway, when he was 4 months old I went back to the petshop and bought biggest cage which was something called twickenham and he was fine in that one for the last three months. No food in the wheel or bedding in the tubes.

However, since joining here a few weeks ago I realised that twickenham cage is too small so now he's in a ruffy2 and thankfully still no food in the wheel. So, I don't know if it was just a phase he grew out of or if was wrong cage causing the problems.

[fluffymunchkins]

You could try providing something that he might really like to store his food in? (a jar, mug, box etc.)
To encourage him to empty the pouches
What wheel does he have?
Maybe try a different type if its enclosed and preventing the food falling out.

[wandofwillow]

Originally Posted by fluffymunchkins

You could try providing something that he might really like to store his food in? (a jar, mug, box etc.)
To encourage him to empty the pouches
What wheel does he have?
Maybe try a different type if its enclosed and preventing the food falling out.

hmm, the jar thing is a good idea! I think I will try that.

And about the wheel.. that's probably part of the problem (and one of the main reasons I DON'T like the Wodent Wheel). Unfortunately, the 12" Comfort Wheel is too big for the cage so I'm stuck with the 11" Wodent Wheel because that's what fits. It came assembled though... I haven't disassembled it yet to clean it but I'm wondering if I could just leave the front piece off?

[ashari]

wandofwillow-i know exactly how you feel as my Ida did this two nights in a row in her SWW!luckily it was just a few random nights so i HOPE she wont bother again.i found that she does it after iv scatter fed her.also when i take the food out her wheel i place it straight into her food stash in her house and not next to the wheel or shell just keep doing it over and over again.

i dont think you can leave the front part of the WW off as i think the wheel might just fall apart??

[wandofwillow]

I put a medium sized cup in the cage and took out the wheel after feeding him. He pouched, and then began frantically looking for his wheel. He then went into the cup after maybe ten minutes and I put the wheel back in because I felt bad. He emptied his pouches a little in the cup, but mostly in the wheel I'm so tired.

[ashari]

where does he normally store his food?

[wandofwillow]

in his wheel if not the wheel I think a little may go into his house but most of it he just drops here and there. he doesn't really have a "storage" area.