My hamster lives in her tunnel! Like literally!

Kyliex · 08-25-2020, 02:47 PM

I got my new hamster Coco 3 days ago after my other hamster Rupert passed away a few months ago due to old age, everything was fine on Sunday when we got her but yesterday and today (Monday and Tuesday) she has been living in her tunnel , bringing food up there from her food bowl , even the toilet paper I put in there which I rubbed against my wrist for a while made its way into her tunnel she’s been sleeping in their peeing in their and other feaces in their as well quite worried haven’t started taming yet but the only times she will come down is 1-3 times a day to have some water and put more food in her cheeks to take back in her tunnel. I do understand she is probably just quite shy as she is just getting used to a new environment but I am quite worried that fact she is going to the bathroom and sleeping in the same place! Would really appreciate some advice!

Pebbles82 · 08-26-2020, 04:50 AM

Double posted

Pebbles82 · 08-26-2020, 04:52 AM

Hello. Do you have a photo of her cage/which cage is it? It sounds like the tunnel is near the top of the cage is that right? If it's those long interconnecting tubes that is one of the problems with them - they can nest and hoard and pee in them and block them off - so it leads to unnatural behaviours. Natural behaviours are to nest, hoard and pee in one place - but in different areas. Eg with a large house/nesting box that's dark inside they will nest in the darkest area, bury hoards under the nest and pee in the corner furthest away from the nest.

If the tunnel is the only "dark" place to go she has probably chosen it as a house.

Some cages have a house on a platform at the top of the cage and then they can't be bothered to go all the way down to the substrate level to hoard and pee so do it all in the house at the top. Not just can't be bothered but it's to keep an eye on things and have them close by.

They do best with a house that is sat directly on top of the substrate at floor level, and is open underneath, so they can bury hoards under the nest (it also airs the house so it doesn't get smelly). Even a standard sized house works well and they will then usually choose a corner of the cage as a toilet (you can then put a litter tray in that corner). If it's a large house they sometimes make a corner of the house the toilet area - some houses are big enough to fit a litter tray inside.

They will often ignore houses and hides provided if they decide it's not big enough or dark enough inside. Putting a bendy stick bridge over the house entrance helps tempt them to move into a house you've provided - as it makes it dark inside and the tunnel entrance tempts them in.

Without seeing your cage it's difficult to know what to suggest, but generally I'd suggest providing another house at floor level sat on top of the substrate and open underneath and put a bendy bridge over the doorway. Put a smelly treat inside - eg cucumber or cheese. She will probably move in and move her nest there.

Something like a shoebox house/nesting box is fine - you cut the base out and keep the lid as a lift off roof and cut a door at one end of one of the long sides (so the other end is darker). You could even put a litter tray inside it (the end opposite the doorway).

Kyliex · 08-26-2020, 05:10 AM

Hi thanks for you advice, her current cage is the Savic Hamster Heaven Syrian Hamster Cage from Pets at home one of their only cages which has enough floor space for hamsters the hideaway house on the top is quite small as the front facing side is covered with a cage opening as well as the cage opening above the substrate.

I have noticed a few times in the early hours of this morning that she has come down from her tunnels to run on her wheel use her sand bath and generally explore , as well as drinking water and putting more food in her pouches to take back to her tunnels. I tried the small first step of taming this morning as well by cutting up some apple she took it from my fingers quite well than as expected went up to her tunnels now as far as I know she has been up there since 4am.

I will attach pictures of the case below. As you can see in the right hand corner that is where she seems to be keeping most of her food as well as where she is in the current moment

MaryRobinson · 08-27-2020, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyliex

Hi thanks for you advice, her current cage is the Savic Hamster Heaven Syrian Hamster Cage from Pets at home one of their only cages which has enough floor space for hamsters the hideaway house on the top is quite small as the front facing side is covered with a cage opening as well as the cage opening above the substrate.

I have noticed a few times in the early hours of this morning that she has come down from her tunnels to run on her wheel use her sand bath and generally explore , as well as drinking water and putting more food in her pouches to take back to her tunnels. I tried the small first step of taming this morning as well by cutting up some apple she took it from my fingers quite well than as expected went up to her tunnels now as far as I know she has been up there since 4am.

I will attach pictures of the case below. As you can see in the right hand corner that is where she seems to be keeping most of her food as well as where she is in the current moment

Hi Kyliex, welcome to HC. I must admit I"m not a fan of these cages. I know they meet the minimum floor space requirements for a Syrian (definitely just the minimum though) but i wish P@H wouldn't sell them. The wheel will need upgrading and personally I'd be tempted to take out all the plastic stuff and that fairly un-useable upstairs house and just use the floor space to start from scratch. The green house probably isn't dark enough to entice her in, even if it were at floor level, either. Obviously now she's in this set-up you might not want to do this all at once so you don't spook her but i hate plastic tunnels with a passion so definitely remove those! Once you have deeper bedding and a better house which she can feel secure in and burrow into then at least she's able to settle into being more hamster-y and hopefully with time will stop barricading herself in!

That said, my new ham is 8 days old and is currently in a detolf (6200cm sq)with a Rodipet house and plenty of deep burrow room and... he's peeing and eating and sleeping in his house and barely coming out too! So, partly may be an new baby thing but i'd definitely optimise your set-up so that she can be more naturally 'rodent'

and see if that helps over time.

cypher · 08-27-2020, 05:44 AM

I have the hamster heaven cage but only use it for my Chinese & Russian hams, it may be ok as a starter cage for a young Syrian but ideally you would need to upgrade when she gets a little bigger, the cage isn’t high enough for a syrian size wheel plus substrate & the floor space isn’t really adequate, females tend to need more space than males too.
I just bin all the plastic bits, close the bit at the top where the penthouse goes & block off the holes for the tubes with the blockers provided.
I think it’s better to do that sooner rather than later as the longer she lives in the tubes the more stressful it will be for her to adjust to not having them.
Fill the base of the cage with substrate so she can burrow & nest in there, give her a good size house, something like a shoebox with no base directly on the substate will work well at least temporarily.
She may get a bit stressed at first but as long as she has something like that as a suitable house she will settle again soon enough.
To avoid stressing her more don’t do any cleaning for a few weeks unless you find any wet areas that may need a bit of spot cleaning, if you add more substrate put the old substrate on top so it smells familiar to her.

Pebbles82 · 08-27-2020, 12:59 PM

The hamster heaven is a good cage and has a great front door - brilliant for interaction and taming. But it’s very common for hamsters to nest in the tubes and penthouse and the cage works much better with those removed. I have a virtually identical cage - the Savic mickey 2xl. Same cage except for the bar spacing is smaller and it doesn’t have the tubes and penthouse. So basically you start with a blank cage.

Suggest taking out the tubes and penthouse- it should face come with blockers for the tube holes. Leave the solid shelf in, remove the shelf with holes to make space for a bigger wheel and a house at floor level on the substrate.

She might have a bit of a hissy fit for a few days after the tubes are removed but she’ll soon settle.

Have a look at the “let’s see your cages” thread for ideas.