Poppy is back in her tube

[LancashireLass]

Hi Everyone,

After Poppy was biting the bars i decided to go shopping and treat her to some new toys for her cage, my intention is to swap things around on a regular basis to keep things fresh for her. i also decided to bite the bullet and put her run tubes back (I took them out to stop her from permanently living in them after a traumatic first week of having her), as soon as she noticed them back she was over the moon, we got up this morning to discover that she was in the process of moving bedding and food as if this was to be a well loved spot for Poppy to sleep and live in. On arriving home from work my suspicions were correct and she is settled in one of the u-bends in the tube, albeit not as much bedding as I thought but enough food to last her. My concern is that the temperature is really cold (she has a cozy little pouch that she has been sleeping in that must be warmer) and I'm bothered about her getting cold including the health implications of being in the tubes all the time. On the other hand this is the second time she has resided in the tubes and obviously she is at home in them, i am aware that Hamsters like to build nests and settle wherever they feel comfortable so i don't know what to do whether to leave her for the time being or get rid of the tubes forever.

Love Janie xxx

[Mona's Humans]

toy rotation is great to help hams not get bored, but it can stress some hams, so try switching one toy every cage clean out to start with, and see how she gets on.

If the tubes don't serve a purpose i would personally remove them, and not look back, but if removing them means blocking off an additional space etc then possibly try giving lots of other cubby/hidey type areas including maybe a chube (big cardboard tube) with some bedding that smells like her in each to encourage her to use a different sleep area.

Good luck