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Old 09-22-2015, 01:51 AM   #1
pixiehollow
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Default Bored hamster

Recently one of my Syrians Miley has been looking very bored on the shelf of her cage. She just sits there and stares out into space, then heads to chew her water bottle. She has her wheel, very big bendy tube, bendy bridges, playhouse, and chew stick galore but she just doesn't seem happy. She's currently in an Alaska, so I've ordered the new Barney cage for some more floorspace. She is out for half hour everynight and longer if she wakes up earlier. But she's started wanting out when I head for bed.

I need to discover some new fun toys though that will occupy her and keep her happy. New cage should be here in a few days, is there anything anyone can recommened that has worked for a bored hammy before?

I ordered a Barney for Milo aswell because after 4 months he is still very skittish when it comes to coming out. He just seems to like being on his own in his cage, never seems to want to come out (working on him slowly), so more space will give more inside room for him too.

I have some of the hooks used for hammocks so I will try and sew up some of those but for the rest I'm lost

Very grateful for any suggestions x
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Old 09-22-2015, 02:14 AM   #2
Shannonmcn
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Default Re: Bored hamster

Instead of giving her more stuff you could try giving her more to do? Like puzzles and foraging keep them busy and interested. Scatter feeding is the simplest thing to do, and burying some nice things in substrate or a burrow box is stimulating natural foraging and digging instincts. I give Cc her dinner inside an egg box most nights, she has to chew the cardboard and dig through the bedding I've stuffed it with to get to her food. Or you can use toilet roll tubes in different ways (this Erins Animals video is a good resource) and hide food or treats in there! You can buy little wooden puzzle boxes but the homemade ones are cheaper and make them use their teeth
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Old 09-22-2015, 03:23 AM   #3
pixiehollow
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Default Re: Bored hamster

She has had her treats in an egg box for the last week lol. She can pop the top off lol. She chewed one corner before realising how to get it open lol. Is selotape safe?
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Old 09-22-2015, 03:26 AM   #4
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Default Re: Bored hamster

Sellotape isn't safe no!
You do have to be quite ingenious to keep them guessing but even just scatter feeding (main food not just treats) is probably the first choice to prevent boredom.
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Old 09-22-2015, 03:29 AM   #5
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Default Re: Bored hamster

Is her wheel fully functioning? Tori had behavior similar to that for the first week, then I realized her wheel was broken! After putting a new one in, she got SO much better and could run on it easily. If the wheel still works properly, I'd do what Shannon said and give her some really interesting and stimulating toys.
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Old 09-22-2015, 04:16 AM   #6
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Default Re: Bored hamster

Clever girl! Some eggboxes do pop open more easily than others, I've become something of an eggbox connoisseur lol the sainsburys ones are the best! you could also put it on its side and bury it halfway in the substrate so it's kept closed? I used to do that with tea boxes that just popped open immediately.

My other go-to is wrapping a stuffed toilet roll tube in plain paper like a christmas cracker, they can't just push or pull that open, they do have to chew it.
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Old 09-22-2015, 05:57 AM   #7
pixiehollow
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Default Re: Bored hamster

I'll try everything mentioned Thank you, she does go on her wheel and it works fine but if she sees me she just goes upto her shelf and looks bored with her big round eyes. She's a diva, much like Tiana lol.

Her egg box was on her shelf because there isn't an awful lot of space on the base of her cage with the bendy rat tube, wheel, house, bridges, sandbath, toilet lol. Once new cage arrives will be able to bury better lol. I bought her one of the burrow cabins from zooplus aswell - Milo loves his.
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