Problems with playtime

Ebbtide · 07-07-2016, 01:20 PM

Hello, I get my Syrian out of his cage almost every night to play but he's been causing me some problems!

I have an enclosed halway that's about 2 metres by 1 metre and I fill it with boxes, his little cardboard castle and hideouts. However, the last couple of weeks he has been fixated with chewing the carpet! I live in rented accommodation so this is a big issue. Even when I put toys in the way of the corners he started to chew the edges. I can't afford to lose my deposit over it so I've had to give up on using the hallway.

I had a disastrous attempt to letting him free roam in the living room. He forced his way past the defences I set up and hid behind the sofa and went behind the TV where all the cables are.

At the moment I've restricted him to his ball (a large rat size one) and he plays for 10-20 mins before I give him a break. He runs around on the sofa with very close supervision but he's chewed a hole in the corner of it too!

Is this enough for playtime? I'd love to let him run around outside his ball but he just can't be trusted! He's about 4-5 months old. Is this something he's likely to grow out of? Any advice or similar experiences are much appreciated! Sorry for such a long post! X

AlfredHam · 07-07-2016, 01:45 PM

Winnie made a really lovely playpen that folds away on a thread in the DIY section, it looks pretty escape proof so might be worth a shot

AlfredHam · 07-07-2016, 01:48 PM

Stylish playpen

Oh and I only ever let Alfie out in his ball or in the bathtub. We have wooden floorboards and my parents have a Jack Russell so it's not worth the escape risk

Ebbtide · 07-07-2016, 01:53 PM

Thank you! The playpen looks great, I'm not great at making things but it looks pretty simple! It's good to know that you're not able to let Alfie free roam either. I feel like a mean hamster mummy not letting him out! Here's a picture of his face when I stopped him from trying to burrow down the back of the sofa. He hates it when I get in the way do his escape plans!
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

AlfredHam · 07-07-2016, 01:54 PM

Haha that face!
I wish I could let him free roam but it's just not worth the inevitable disaster that could happen if he escaped. I can't even have a playpen just in case!

AmityvilleHams · 07-07-2016, 02:09 PM

I think a bathtub would be the safest option while still letting you provide enrichment outside of the cage.Balls don't really do much,while playpens and bathtubs can be set up to actually be quite enriching and beneficial

Don't feel bad about not being able to provide complete free roaming though,it isn't for everyone!Work with something like a playpen or bathtub to create a more safe space instead,but definitely avoid using a ball.

CMB · 07-08-2016, 09:02 AM

You will need to find something to cover the carpet when using the playpen. A plastic mat like children may have under a high chair might work.

freyashamsters · 07-08-2016, 02:15 PM

I agree with Amityvillehams there, a bathtub would be your safest option. Lay a towel (or towels, depending on how large the bathtub is) down - all of the floorspace should be covered - and put in toys and hideaways

As AV hams said, don't feel bad about not being able to free roam, it's all down to a hamster's personal preference and a bathtub is just as good

I have to use a bathtub for playtime too as Willow despises carpets and always gets her feet stuck in them