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Old 10-04-2020, 02:07 AM   #1
maudie222
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Join Date: Oct 2020
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Unhappy Hamster behaviour in multi-chamber house

Hi I'm thinking of getting a multi-chamber house and should like to ask advice from you hamster gurus. Here goes:

I've read hamsters in the wild create a toilet chamber in one of their burrowed 'rooms'. Do hamsters do this in a multi-chamber house (and is this wee and poo or only wee?) in a corner of the cage if they've gotten used it doing this? It wld b way easier for me to clean a corner of the cage than a room in his house while he is asleep.

I've ordered a Trixi multi house but am concerned abt some of the comments that they are put tog. with nails and glue. I've found a house which is tongue and groove style but it's out of stock and quite expensive. Any thoughts?

I've also read comments that hamster wee and poo can make the multi house smell. Do you clean them? The more expensive one can be treated but I can't be bothered doing that myself.

I'm actually thinking of just creating disposable ones from cardboard if, even the expensive one will get ruined.

I look fwd to your thoughts!

Maudie
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Old 10-04-2020, 06:54 AM   #2
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Hamster behaviour in multi-chamber house

Hi. I use multi roomed houses for our hamsters and yes they pee in one room and nest in another room so I put a corner litter tray in one room for the pee and just take the roof off the house to empty it twice a week. They tend to hoard under the nest (if there is substrate under the nest - if there isn’t they tend to hoard in a room).

A lot depends on the layout of the rooms. They will choose the darkest one to nest in and the one next to it to pee in (usually). So the labyrinth houses work well as light doesn’t go round corners. Hamsters do vary in their habits but can be trained a bit in the house. Eg one of our Syrians decided to use his potty room to hoard in so I moved the potty to the room he was peeing in.

Poops - they do that everywhere, nest, hoard, all over the cage - but they’re not a problem unless they start taking over then just spot clean them. Hamsters actually eat their poops sometimes which is normal- they have two stomachs and can redigest nutrients from their poops.

Cardboard is a good idea . With the wood houses most people paint them with plastikote enamel paint which makes them wipe clean. That’s for smooth wood but wouldn’t work with rough bark wood houses like the trixie one. If it’s for a Syrian the trixie Leif house is a bit small inside but it can work if you knock out the middle compartment to make one big room
In the middle - and knock out the bit of floor under the entrance- so there is just substrate underneath it.

I have a Rodipet one which is great but it is expensive and it’s large too so needs a 100cm cage at least.

If you make one out of cardboard you could design it how you want. The Rodipet design is good. Because they always nest on the front left room which is the darkest bit round a corner after two entrances and they pee in the middle back room next to it. The right side is more of a run to the top entrance but can be used for hoards sometimes.

If a bit did get pee soaked you could just replace that bit of cardboard though . They need a lift off roof ideally so you can leave the house in place and the nest stays in tact. But none of mine like you lifting the roof when they’re in it. So I do it when they’re out if the cage to empty the toilet.
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Old 10-04-2020, 06:56 AM   #3
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Hamster behaviour in multi-chamber house

This is the one I have for Syrians . There are smaller versions for dwarf hamsters. It’s just a box with compartments and doors really!

https://www.rodipet.co.uk/houses/rod...26-cm-7cm.html
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Old 10-05-2020, 09:39 AM   #4
maudie222
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Default Re: Hamster behaviour in multi-chamber house

Hi thanks for your enlightening response! I thought that might be the case on what I've read about behaviour but plumped for the Trixie and in my inpatience it's now in the cage. No idea if it's being used yet tho. I only got the hamster 4 days ago and am trying not to disturb him. I bought a large Trixie 35x11x25cm do you think that's ok size wise for the internal compartments or still need to knock through?
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Old 10-08-2020, 05:40 PM   #5
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Hamster behaviour in multi-chamber house

If it's for a dwarf hamster it's fine If it's for a Syrian - wait and see until he's settled. If he's moved in he must like it The inner compartments might be a bit small for him. It's a good house though.
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Old 10-09-2020, 03:37 AM   #6
LunaTheHamster1
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Default Re: Hamster behaviour in multi-chamber house

The inside walls have been fine for my Syrian hamsters, but if they pee on it you may need to knock the floor panels off,(unless you sealed it with something like plastikote) this also gives them the opportunity to burrow down underneath which they seem to really like.
If you do need to knock the floor off, just start tapping very gently and eventually it will give way, there will be nails so make sure you pull them out.
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Old 10-09-2020, 10:51 AM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Hamster behaviour in multi-chamber house

I think it’s better with the floor knocked off anyway.
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Old 11-12-2020, 05:37 AM   #8
maudie222
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Lightbulb Re: Hamster behaviour in multi-chamber house

Hi again, can I ask for some more advice from you Hamster experts please? So I knocked out the floor of the large Trixie multi Leif house. Part of the compartment dividers snapped off when I did this but at least I don’t have to worry that the holes are too small. Sidney is still happy there. The question I have is about his toilet. She wee’s and stores food in one ‘room’. The smell is awful and I clean this section every other day but my concern is wee soaked substrate remaining in other rooms (seeping underneath) and also the plastic base of the cage retaining the wee smell. I have some thoughts but you may have others which I’d welcome. Here goes:
- raise the house so it sits on more substrate and line the bottom of the toilet room with something eg small piece of cardboard I can throw away or cloth I can wash to protect the base bottom and put substrate on top
- put food in a dish in the room she currently doesn’t use to encourage the store here. I did this this morn and heard munching
- put a second round small PAH ceramic dish with sand in it in the toilet room. The room is small and is rectangular so no good for a corner toilet
(I bought a salt pig and put sand in and put in a diff part of the cage as I read a few people so that. He doesn’t use that as a toilet tho).
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