Do all hamsters burrow?

Jennie F · 06-22-2017, 09:22 AM

Just wondering if all hamsters do actually burrow. I switched Khali over to fitch at the start of May, thinking in her new detolf and increased substrate she would tunnel about. But I honestly dont think she does, at least that I can see.

I have buried treats for her below the substrate and pressed them against the glass so i can see if she has taken them. I guess I kind of expect to wake up and see the substate has been moved about. But although the treat has gone, it looks the same. Maybe she puts it all back where it was being neat??

She has at least 8 inches of substrate and doesnt seem distressed in any way.

What do you guys think?

CMB · 06-22-2017, 10:06 AM

My hamster took a little while before burrowing. To start with she didn't dig. Then she dug just deep enough for her to sleep its her back level with the substrate. She now digs to the base of her tank, leaving a thin layer of substrate beneath her.

Hopefully yours will find a love for burrowing to.

Pebbles82 · 06-22-2017, 12:47 PM

I think they vary. Our last Syrian wasn't interested in digging and burrowing - except when he didn't have a very big house and I put deeper substrate in - then he dug a tunnel and slept under the substrate because he didn't like the house! That got smelly quite quickly so I put a bigger house in and he didn't dig tunnels then, because he didn't need to. When he had lots of substrate under his house though, he did like to burrow down in his nest quite a long way down. They do seem to like pushing the substrate around in little mountains though and burying things under them.

Rads · 06-22-2017, 03:15 PM

Pip will dig about in her substate, and build mounds of it around her house, though the other day for once Pip decided to burrow under her cave, I think for no more reason than she could..!

Hamsterita · 06-23-2017, 10:24 AM

Blacky only burrows to make his nest. But besides that he doesn't dig at all, and he also has a big layer of substrate. maybe some times he moves the substrate a little bit if he feels like it, but he doesn't make tunels

Burakki · 06-23-2017, 10:54 AM

Marti one day started going crazy with her digging tower, which she had been ignoring for weeks. She was burrowing with such enthusiasm that most of the substrate ended up on our carpet. I immediately purchased more substrate to allow her to go as deep as possible, but the next day she came back to being completely indifferent towards all digging materials she had. I ended up turning her digging tower into a hideout and she seems very happy about it. The only burrowing thing she does is sometimes she tries to burrow her bowls, especially when I put something she likes in them. So, I guess it's individual.

Jennie F · 06-23-2017, 03:24 PM

Good to know that Khali isnt just being a lazy ham haha.

I hid her food tube in the substrate tonight to see if she would work for her supper x

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVstLHUgXuY/

CMB · 06-23-2017, 03:47 PM

Yay. Go Khali. Hope she enjoyed the contents.

SnoWolf · 06-23-2017, 11:51 PM

It depends although I'm not very experienced I think every hamster has their own personality and that not all of them will burrow frequently. Your hamster may at one point but I guess not for now. Maybe they burrow at night when they're more active? Mine burrows all the time and at one point I was worried if there was such a thing as excessive burrowing XD I think she's just not used to the new cage. Give her some time and I'm sure she'll do it eventually.