Cage cleaning sorted at last!

[Pebbles82]

Ok, thanks to lots of hints and tips I have finally managed to do a cage clean without Charlie freaking and turning into a hermit again. I followed Peanut's tip to leave him in the cage while doing it and also followed the Erin's Hamster tips (someone very helpfully posted the link to her cage cleaning video recently) and only did the substrate and not the toys, leaving them for another day.

So - off came the top of the cage along with two sputniks, and a dangly thing. Out came the wheel and the toys. Charlie comes out of his house to investigate. Out came his house, carefully so as not to disturb his nest. Out came the toilet tray which he watched me empty into a bin bag. he had a wander round the cage then hopped out of it and into his pet carrier which I had next to the cage and had a monkey nut in. I scooped out the top 2/3rds of substrate which he watched and then climbed back into the cage ran over to his nest and started to dig up his hoard and pouch it. I left the substrate round his nest area and didn't touch his hoard (there was no fresh stuff in there). He then watched me put new substrate in and mix it all up - except for the area where his nest was, and climbed out again. He wandered round on the floor between me, the bin bag, the cage and the bag of substrate and then climbed into the bag of substrate. By then I had nearly finished and he had climbed out of the bag of substrate and was wandering away a bit too far so popped him back in his pet carrier again and took it upstairs while I hoovered up. Put the house and toys and wheel back in and the cage top back on. I managed to break the bendy stick bridge, but he didn't use it anyway and it made more space to put in the Christmas hay house and looks better now. Charlie had gone to sleep in the pet carrier, so picked him up and popped him on a blanket on the cage door (front opening) as he came round. He walked into the cage quite happily - none of the edging he used to do. Jumped in his sand bath, then went into his house. Later he came out and was contentedly sitting on top of the hay house nibbling coconut.

Success! He has just carried on as normal and no becoming a nervous recluse like before. I think it definitely helped that he could see what was going on and had something to play in, and also that he could see and smell his house and wheel were just the same afterwards. I put some more white paper in and he has taken some of that for his nest (which was collapsing a bit when I took the house out.

The wheel could do with a clean but I'll leave that till another day.

In fact I'd go as far as to say he approves of having cleaner substrate!

[Thin Lizzy]

Fantastic news! Fantastic progress!
It's what I do with Twinkle. And she's much happier being part of it, she supervises me lol!
I started doing this with Archie after he got stressed out, and he prefers that method also.

For Charlie to fall asleep in his pet carrier while you finished his cage is so amazing, this little man trusts you so much.
Well Done Charlie!

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Thin Lizzy. I think he only fell asleep because I took the pet carrier upstairs where it was quiet, and put a blanket over the top, so he gave up looking out and curled up and went to sleep. Yes it is great progress - I'm so happy cage cleaning is no longer a total nightmare! Last time I cleaned his wheel he wouldn't use it for about a week, so I think I will only 'semi' clean it next time.

[Bbhami]

That's good to hear! I find that replacing the hoard makes them find a new area to keep it. I only check their stash carefully if they're outside the cage (playpen or ball time). Otherwise I'd get a bloody finger, oops...

I also follow Erinhamster's tips on cage cleaning to not throw all the bedding, I keep a part of it to mix with the new one. My female syrian also goes crazy if her scent is gone so I use hot water if I need to clean the whole cage and tubes.

[Thin Lizzy]

I used to spray the Johnson's antibacterial spray onto Archie and Twinkle's toys but no longer do that, instead I spray onto kitcken towel and wipe the toys that way so I don't freak them out!

[Thin Lizzy]

I used to spray Archie and Twinkle's toys with antibacterial spray to clean them but, now I spray onto kitchen paper rolls, blot and then wipe lightly over their toys now.
I never do everything at once as they don't like it!