Hamster sleeping in tunnel

[Jin]

Just over 2 weeks ago I upgraded my Syrians cage from the HH to the barney. In the HH she slept in the penthouse but when I moved her to the barney she built a lovely big nest in the big house under the shelf which I thought was much better for her and more natural and I haven't touched her nest to clean it as I wanted to make sure she was properly settled in first.

2 days ago I added the blue tunnel and this morning I noticed she had built a nest in the middle of it and had started sleeping there. Trouble is she pees where she sleeps (despite having a litter tray and a sand bath) and I'm worried the tube will get smelly and I'll have to keep disturbing her nest and hoard to clean it. I thought hamsters liked burrowing under substrate to sleep? She has plenty of deep substrate so i'm wondering why she might prefer to be sleeping in the tunnel rather than in the house where she can make a big nest and burrow? And also what is the best way to clean the tunnel if she continues to sleep in there? Should I just empty it, clean with warm water, wipe and put back the dry food and bedding? I dont want to take the tunnel away entirely as she has had too many changes to her cage already recently.

[Pebbles82]

Oh dear - that seemsstrange she moved her nest from the house to the tunnel! Maybe she got in that habit in the HH. Only thing I can suggest is putting a bendy bridge tunnel over the entrance of the wood Barney house. With a tunnel entrance it may tempt her back into the house (maybe put a smelly treat in there too). And it will make the house dark inside which she will like. Hopefully she will move back in, within a few days. If not you may need to take the blue tunnel out.