building a nest, not using a house.

[lady jocardi]

Jocardi has totally abandoned her little house......I don't blame her to be honest.......When I went to buy it, it was the only one that looked like it would fit under the shelf of her cage. she used it a couple of weeks but now nests on the back corner of her cage. She builds a huge dam with wood shavings and makes her bed behind and inside it! Its quite amazing.

Do many Syrians choose to sleep this way rather than what we provide them with?

[BrainGirl]

Yep, they will do their own thing sometimes! Ah well, I'm sure she'll use it for something else; mine always do

[NiceCrocs]

Yes, my syrian builds open nests all the time I still keep a couple houses in her tank, she likes climbing on them and siting in them to groom and such, but she generally sleeps in an open best.

[Hopefullygettingahamster]

Toothless burrowed under the house and nested...inside /under it I guess you could say.

[2LittlePuds]

Yup, Squibbles will sleep in his house sometimes but always chooses to go back to his open nest

[MylosMom]

Mylo slept in 3 different corners in 2 weeks. 2 open nests & one "housed" under a shelf. He constantly is changing his mind & has left his adorable home empty. I never know what I will find some mornings. Once he knocked over his house & slept in it upside down.

[LisaMichelle]

Hercules usually sleeps in his house but every so often he sleeps in a mountain of bedding next to his wheel! I think he does that when it's a little too warm to sleep in his house.

[Skeever]

Sometimes you have to teach them.....With mine, its simple.....I point to the house and say you RUN in that.....point to the wheel saying "You USE THIS as a BATHROOM, and THEN STASH FOOD in it....Point to the Potty and say: You BATHE in that.....and so on.

Sure enough, within a couple days they're running on the wheel, sleeping and stashing in their house, and pottying in the potty

[BrainGirl]

LOL reverse psychology huh Skeever?

[Skeever]

It's a common mistake new hamster owners make....telling the hamster what to do and where....they are proud, belligerent and subversive critters ....you have to BECOME the HAMSTER