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Old 10-19-2009, 03:21 AM   #1
enigma82
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Default Blocking Tubes to larger cage

We've just got our first hamster, we have had her for about a week. She has a Rotastack round cage, which has a wheel and a tube that goes up to a bedding area. Her food and water are in this cage. We bought her another bigger cage for a play area, which we attached to the first cage with some tubes. When we first got it she had a bit of a sniff around, played abit, then the next morning we found she had taken all her sawdust from the first cage and just blocked the tube between the 2 cages. I unblocked the tube and she just put it back.

We wondered if it was a smell issue or something, so we cleaned out both cages but fresh sawdust in etc and cleared out the blockage again. She then went into the new cage, had another sniff around, sat in there for a while. Then next morning we found she had again completely filled her tube with sawdust, and then when that ran out, put all her food in there as well!

I've seen allot of articles saying its normal for hamsters to do this, they like to block of the entrance to their burrow etc, which is fine but what I don't know is if I should keep unblocking the tube when she blocks it and replace her sawdust, or should I leave it blocked, and just empty it when I clean her out, or just remove the new cage altogther and block of the tube, and give up on using that cage? I'd really like her to get used to the new cage, as it gives her a lot more room.
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Old 10-19-2009, 04:05 AM   #2
souffle
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Default Re: Blocking Tubes to larger cage

Most people are not great fans of rotastak especially for youngsters. The small enclosed spaces are not good for them and the pods get all hot and musty and can lead to chest infections due to sleeping in them with no ventilation. It is very common for them to block and even sleep/wee/ store in tubes and you should discourage this.
Keep unblocking the tube but don't give new sawdust as this will remove her scent and stress her a bit.
Personally I would take the rotastack off altogether for now until she is really tame and settled. Let her live in the single large cage which is easier to access until she is tame. Once they have established a bed and potty area in the cage they usually stick to this and then you can try bringing the rotatack back in. If she nests in the tubes or wheel remove it again. I would never put the attic pod on though as they are really bad for condensation and food and bedding goes mouldy up there.
Hope that helps.
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Old 10-19-2009, 05:50 AM   #3
enigma82
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Default Re: Blocking Tubes to larger cage

I'm thinking that maybe the rotastack was a bad idea all round and I will take them back and get a more traditional cage for her. Do you think that moving her to a new cage after only a week in this one will be too stressful for her, or if I put some of her old bedding in and her toys, she will adapt ok?
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Old 01-28-2021, 04:07 AM   #4
Juwan
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Join Date: Jan 2021
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Unhappy Re: Blocking Tubes to larger cage

Hi guys
Also a new hamster owner or my son for that matter
I just want to know the pipes are assembled to the the cage how can I block the holes to try keeping Hammy out of them that are safe and he wont eat etc
I disembled the bottom ones and then he climbed to the roof and is back in them
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Old 01-28-2021, 05:52 AM   #5
Ria P
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Default Re: Blocking Tubes to larger cage

Hi and welcome to HC!
You block the tubes with plastic caps designed for that purpose. They should come supplied with the Hamster Heaven if that's the cage you have.
You can buy them online but need to make sure they are the right size.
Which cage do you have?
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Old 01-28-2021, 05:52 AM   #6
Puddle
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Default Re: Blocking Tubes to larger cage

I generally have a really big metro cage attached to a smaller cage for them to run between but as soon as I find them sleeping in the connecting tube then i take it off them to be honest, they generally always blocked one end too.

My current one has a coconut to sleep in but she wont use it, I just find it full to the top of sawdust everytime I clean her out. Not just a little bit full but so stuffed full that im in awe of how she does it and iv yet to catch her in the act. No idea why she does this?

I made mistake of having a big corrugated/collapsable purple tube in my current hamsters cage when I first got her. (dunno how to describe it but the type you can stretch out and bend round corners) anyway she immediatley slept in it (blocked one end) and I did take it off her after a week but she sat gazing at me as if asking where it has gone and it broke my heart so had to give her it back.
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Old 01-28-2021, 11:58 PM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Blocking Tubes to larger cage

Hello Juwan. This is an old thread so might be easier if you start a new one about your cage. Do you also have a rotostak? Unfortunately they are bit fit for purpose and they need one continuous floor area of 80cm by 50cm (or larger). You can have two cages connected as long as one of them is about 80 x 50. Two smaller ones connected doesn’t give them the uninterrupted floor space they need. And it is much better to have one larger cage than two connected ones for the very reason they will block up the connecting tubes which doesn’t encourage normal behaviours. Also connecting tubes are an escape route.

Something like the hamster heaven is about the smallest cage size for a Syrian hamster. It allows the space for the cage to be their “habitat “ and within that they need a good sized house/nesting box to build a large cosy nest.

I also made the expensive mistake of buying a rotostak initially. Ended up binning it and buying a bigger cage. I couldn’t bring myself to sell it to anyone as it’s not really suitable for any species. The ventilation is very bad.
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