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Old 05-20-2015, 04:53 PM   #1
Lexieshamster
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Default Hamster housed in lounge or bedroom?

I've just moved Nevie into his new bin cage. He was in a 3ft by 1 ft aquarium before - which is in my lounge. This was great for me because I got to watch him playing in his tank in the evening - but wanted him to have more space as he was always pawing the sides and climbing / trying to climb out at every available opportunity. So I wanted him to have more space and also to be able to put him upstairs in my bedroom so it's quieter for him during the day. The tank is too large and heavy to go upstairs and would have needed to be moved downstairs anytime I am away as my Mum comes in to feed / water / check on him when I'm away and she cannot climb stairs anymore. I also wanted to put my gerbils in the tank as their current gerbilarium is too small.

So good plan yes? Except now Nevie is upstairs I've noticed he is less active. He wakes at the usual time in the evening - about 9 pm and has his usual hours playtime - except when I put him back he goes back into his nest and stays there (whereas before he would have a little ly down out in the open and then after a little while get up and play) and I don't see him again until the next evening. Once he's gone back into his nest he doesn't come when I call him anymore. I fall asleep quickly and sleep deeply but my other half days he hears him up and about during the night.

I'm missing him lots and wondering if I should bring him back downstairs. It's warmer down here too as I have a small house with one heater in the lounge which warms the whole house adequately (for me at least) - if I leave the bedroom doors open - but it's still cooler upstairs. I'm wondering if he's spending more time in his nest as its warmer. I'm wondering if he's less active as he thinks there's less opportunity to get out when he could hear and see me more. Or is he just settling into his new environment and more confident about playing in his cage when it's dark? I had the light on in there before but have just switched it off to see if he'll come out.

So I'm wondering should I:

- move his new cage downstairs?
- put a thermometer and a heater in my bedroom for him?
- leave the cage upstairs but make a playpen downstairs for the evening?
- move his new cage downstairs in the evening and put it back upstairs during the day?
- just give him time to settle into his new environment?

Sorry for the long post!! Am I worrying too much?
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:41 AM   #2
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Default Re: Hamster housed in lounge or bedroom?

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Originally Posted by Lexieshamster View Post
...... Or is he just settling into his new environment and more confident about playing in his cage when it's dark? I had the light on in there before but have just switched it off to see if he'll come out.....
Hi Lexie - first of all, hamsters are nocturnal, so he has always been up at night, this is his natural routine. You probably didn't realise because he was up and about once you had gone to bed when he was in the lounge. In fact leaving the light on for hamsters can be detrimental, apparently as it can disturb them.

You do need to check the temperature of your bedroom though, as it might be too cold for him but his change of routine, ie coming out less during the day may simply be because it is quieter for him, so he is behaving like a hamster, sleeping during the day and being most active at night.

The general routine for four out of five of mine is to sleep during the day but appearing occasionally for drinking, eating and weeing. Sometimes one or two of them might want to come out because they know that I am around but mostly, they take themselves back to bed. My robo is much more strictly active at night times. I am sure she does pop out during the day but she's so tiny that she doesn't make any noise and my back is slightly towards her tank, so I don't see her.

There's no harm in making a playpen downstairs and if he wakes, as you shouldn't wake him, bring him downstairs for a play. I don't know how I feel about moving him every day between upstairs and downstairs, as he'll need to get used to different room temperatures and atmospheric differences but I am sure others will comment.

I don't think you need to worry but certainly, please check that your room isn't too cold for him. Where are you in the world, are you going into summer or winter? He always needs paper for his bedding and hamsters will use what they need, so if you have plenty in the cage, he will take what he needs. I find that mine have different sleeping areas depending on the time of year. When I see that all the "spare" tissue paper has been taken into their nests, I add some more, in case they want it for one or other of their sleeping areas.

All my hamsters are in my lounge and all manage well with my daily routine, as well as a chirpy budgie!
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:45 AM   #3
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Default Re: Hamster housed in lounge or bedroom?

Artisan's has said it brilliantly! Excellent post and advice.
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:58 AM   #4
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Default Re: Hamster housed in lounge or bedroom?

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Artisan's has said it brilliantly! Excellent post and advice.
Thank you for that, Lizzy, it means a lot.
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:46 PM   #5
Lexieshamster
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Default Re: Hamster housed in lounge or bedroom?

Thank you Artisan for your lengthy reply and thank you too Lizzy.

Artisan, I have a little chirper in my lounge too! A Parakeet called Jules.

You have mis-read my post though and I think missed the point I was trying to make. I didn't explain it very well in my rambling! I know hamsters are nocurnal and my hammy has always slept during the day and been awake at night. I never take him out to play during he day - not until he wakes naturally after it gets dark - and wait for him to have a drink and whatever else, wake up properly (ears up etc) and show signs he wants to play. What I was saying was that when he was in the lounge he woke up around 9 at night, and would then stay awake for the night. I go to bed around midnight - so that meant our waking hours overlapped for a few hours each night. After I moved him into my bedroom, he started waking up at 9 at night as usual - but after his usual out of cage playtime he started going back to bed. I was disappointed at seeing less of him and trying to figure out why he had started doing this.

The reason I left a light on in my room while I was still up (a small evening lamp not a bright light) was because he is used to a lamp being on in the lounge at that time - which doesn't stop him being active at all - and I didn't want to startle him by putting the light on and off each time I needed to go into my bedroom. I turned it off after I went to bed of course. When I first got him though - i.e. before he was socialised- he never used to get up until all was quiet and dark - but as he grew more socialised and confident things like light and noise made him want to get up and see if he could get to come out and play. So I wondered if he had taken a backwards step due to being in a new environment.

Your reply has helped me make up my mind so thank you -my post was a bit confusing as to what the problem was exactly and I now realise I was looking for an excuse to bring Nevie back downstairs - but I don't need an excuse do I? So I've bought his cage back into the lounge so he can be part of the family again. Yes its quieter upstairs during the day, and I was trying to be a good hamster mummy, but I miss my boy upstairs by himself in the evening and you've got your hamster in your lounge and so do many others and I want my hammy in my lounge too - sorted.

Sorry about all that - alot of fuss about nothing in the end!!
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