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Old 05-16-2019, 10:46 AM   #1
PurpleKat
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Midlands
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Default Enrichment ideas?

She's about a 1 year old Syrian.
I can tell my hammy is wanting more space or more of something.
She's chewing the bars alot, she will run on her wheel and play with her toys, but chews on bars.

She has a 11 inch trixie wheel, an alaska cage (84 x 48.5 x 44 cm) which I expanded with a pets@home large cage (30 x 38 x 59cm). Had the cage as travel one. I made a large tunnel connector with a bendy tunnel.

Zooplus corner cabin, grand suspension bridge and small pet play house.
Bendy tunnel, a cardboard tunnel, and a grass hide from the roof. Various chews too.

I scatter feed and make out of toilet roll tubes a hide for food. Bedding most of the depth of the bases, 1cm off top. About 2kg tub of sand in one corner, which she loves.

Any additional ideas?
I am planning on getting an ikea detolf, but I move in less than 2 months and don't want it to break.
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Last edited by PurpleKat; 05-16-2019 at 11:05 AM. Reason: Also she has a playpen, move her wheel, couple of toys and there's a grass hide.
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Old 05-16-2019, 11:02 AM   #2
Shannonmcn
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Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
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Default Re: Enrichment ideas?

Her setup sounds grand tbh. I think you might be right that she just wants more space. I personally wouldn't go detolf unless you can manage a raised lid or something because it's v easy for them to chew the mesh instead now she's got the habit.

The Linnmon hacks are a bit more work and need more tools but you end up with a much better cage and it's still manageable. And there's a great distance to the mesh so no chewing opportunities. If you can't manage that the detolf is still a good upgrade tho! And I've moved 3 times with mine. I kept the box stuffed down the side of a wardrobe with the spare panel so everything just gets unassembled and put back in there. No breakages and only one near miss

As a quick thing you can give her a ton more bedding if you block the bottom of the bars with cardboard strips or corrugated plastic board or anything really. Then you can pile it in there without it falling out all over the place and as a bonus it might block where she normally chews.
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Old 05-16-2019, 11:52 AM   #3
PurpleKat
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Location: Midlands
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Default Re: Enrichment ideas?

Thank you for the Linnmon suggestion, not heard of that one. Quick look and it looks good. I have no space to build either tbh in my small 1 bed flat but the move is into a medium 2 bed house.

I have thought of making the bedding higher, but I've tried to put cardboard where she chews in the corner and sides, she just chews from the top of it.
Worried she'd just chew it and throw the bedding out.
I'll try it thou.
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Old 05-16-2019, 03:24 PM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Enrichment ideas?

Do you have a photo of the set up. It sounds great. The only thing I can think is some of the hanging bridges can move a bit and that can make them feel a bit unsettled and not like using it - if it's access to something important like food. But basically it sounds like she is in the bar chewing habit and needs a different cage. How about a maxi Duna Multy? It's a 100cm - more manoevrable than a detolf! The water bottle hole needs blocking off or they can chew that.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-Ma...gateway&sr=8-1
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Old 05-23-2019, 03:01 PM   #5
PurpleKat
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Default Re: Enrichment ideas?

This is a picture of her cage set up.
Top cage is full of bedding and chews. Mostly for digging and burrowing.
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File Type: jpg IMG_20190523_225705.jpg (3.01 MB, 35 views)
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tunnel, cage, bendy, wheel, corner, hide, play, chews, large, shes, ideas, bars, tubes, toilet, roll, bedding, food, feed, roof, grass, break, scatter, make, bases, move

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