Is this normal?

laurenjfrancis · 08-27-2019, 02:16 PM

My Hamster Forrest just sits in this position in his cage, looking over onto the floor. He does this a lot but it does look very odd! He doesn't show any signs of distress (unless this is one) he comes out of his cage every day, has an exercise wheel and a ball, also a decent size cage to run around in.

I just want to know if this is negative hamster behaviour or not, or if there's anything I can do to help him if its bad!

Thanks

10Minutes · 08-27-2019, 07:17 PM

I don't know if this is negative or not, hopefully others can comment.

That looks very odd to me. Maybe he's worried about falling as the platform seems quite high. Is he considering if he can jump off it safely?

The platform looks adjustable, could you adjust it to a lower height (maybe just immediately above the wheel so it doesn't interfere with the wheel when it is in use)?

You can also increase the level of the bedding. That way, he can jump safely off it if he wants to.

laurajj2909 · 08-28-2019, 11:35 AM

He looks like he's sizing up the jump. My hamster does this a lot. I would say though I might try and get a cage without mesh floors/ladders if you have the money to as hamsters feet/legs can sometimes get trapped.

Ria P · 08-28-2019, 01:41 PM

I've read that hamster are good at climbing up but struggle to get down again. You need to put in a lot more substrate in case he falls down then at least he's not so likely to hurt himself.
I've seen that cage in pet shops but thought its for gerbils not hamster because the wire platform and ladder isn't suitable for hamsters. You could replace the ladder with a Trixie bendy one available from Amazon and cover the platform with a mat from the pet shop to give your hamster an even surface to walk on.

Wisper · 08-29-2019, 02:24 PM

I'd second that it is probably due to the shelf being too high. Hamsters are not great at judging distances if they can not feel something with their whiskers. This fall might be freaking him out a bit. I'd say if you can lower the shelf or get rid of the shelves completely and give him more things to do at ground level. Hamsters are burrowers more so than climbers so he would probably appreciate much more substrate rather than shelves.

Penn · 08-30-2019, 04:01 AM

Hi Lauren. To me it looks like your cage is too small for Forest, the wheel in particular is what cage it away. Wired flooring is generally not great for hamsters as it can hurt their feet, and wheels need to be big enough for them to be able to run with their back straight otherwise it can cause spinal issues very easily.

I'd recommend investing in a much larger cage and wheel at least, but this is the cage and wheel I have and can recommend. It seems like a lot of money but it will mean the world to Forest.
https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...r_cages/284288
https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small..._wheels/174195 ( The larger £8.99 version)