should i be worried???

HartyHetty · 05-24-2019, 02:39 PM

I have 2 syrian hamsters kept apart at all times, i havent changed anything i use in their cages or their food,
Harty (17 months) for the last couple weeks, maybe a month, is coming out occasionally through the day for food and water but then straight back into his house through the night he can scratch 1 corner of his cage repeatedly for upto 2 hours then back to bed.
should i be worried?

mangoandmimi · 05-24-2019, 03:07 PM

The scratching in one corner for two hours doesn’t sound normal no. What kind of cage is he in, does he have a large wheel?
Their sleep patterns do change sometimes they’re up earlier others come out at night.

HartyHetty · 05-24-2019, 03:32 PM

he is in a large cage with plenty toys, chew toys, runs etc and does have a large wheel but i have not seen him use it since he was about 2/3 month but have never removed it incase he does when am not there (asleep). i have tried changing his cage around recently but he does go back to the same corner, i have 2 Hamsters and Harty has always been a little different, he has never liked human contact, when he was younger and i would try he would squeal or if he did go in my hand he would not move at all so try to limit human contact to as little as possible because i dont want him to be stressed.

mangoandmimi · 05-25-2019, 01:34 AM

I’m not sure what you mean by large cage with plenty of toys as that is subjective. I assume large wheel means 10-12” diameter wheel? I’m clarifying because scratching or digging in a corner can be a stress behaviour and one common cause is inadequate cage size, enrichment etc. Another might be if something has changed in his environment that has upset him. Things like cleaning out his nest a lot would stress him but I don’t think he’d suddenly start reacting differently from it. Is he doing that every night?

HartyHetty · 05-25-2019, 02:44 PM

it is 36" x 14" and is the same cage he has always been in, he has little runs/tubes, a mini maze, hideaways, chew toys, sand bath. i have always changed his 'dirty part' every week and full change every 2, i have done nothing different, havent changed anything, and whatever i use on Hartys cage i use with Hettys cage and she has showed no difference on behaviour, i would say 5 out of 7 nights he is doing it

mangoandmimi · 05-25-2019, 03:43 PM

I’d say it’s a good chance that the cage isn’t enough - that size is definitely on the small side for a Syrian you’d do better with something at least 800 square inches and not so narrow. It often does happen they’ll seem content for a while and then they’re not. If an upgrade isn’t possible right now can you add more bedding? As deep as you can so towards 10”. Burrowing keeps them occupied so worth a shot! Comparing hamsters isn’t always too helpful as they do like different things and some will be more easily satisfied than others.

HartyHetty · 05-27-2019, 02:28 PM

i will have a look into getting a bigger cage, i have changed his cage around yesterday and he didnt do any scratching last night and so far none today (fingers crossed). He does have a lot of bedding in his cage already but dont think its 10" more 7/8.
i know you cant treat all hamsters the same and my 2 are very different hamsters and know what they prefer regarding food/treats and different stuff in their cages to suit their individual needs, it was more about the type/make of bedding, cleaning stuff etc.

Pebbles82 · 05-27-2019, 02:35 PM

It sounds like he is wanting out of cage time. Even if he is not very tame and doesn't like being handled, could you set up a playpen area for him to run around in and have some out of cage time? You could get him out in a tube or hamster ball (lower the ball in with a treat inside and he should hop in then pop the lid on, then you can carry him to the safe/playpen area in the ball). A couple of tunnels/toys in the playpen and hiding the odd treat might interest him.

Also if they don't get enough exercise they get desperate to come out, so check his wheel is actually spinning ok. If it doesn't spin well or is stuck he will be getting pent up energy.

If the wheel isn't big enough he won't use it also, as it can give them back pain. It needs to be 10 to 11" diameter really.

HartyHetty · 05-29-2019, 03:07 PM

he is not interested in anything, like i said previous i have changed his cage around and the scratching has stopped but apart from getting food/water he doesnt really move from his bedding area maybe 30 mins a day he is out of his 'bed',
his wheel is 10" but he has never been that bothered by it thats why i put more runs and stuff in his cage for entertainment.
When i do get him in a ball he doesnt really go anywhere, he runs for 5 mins then goes into the same corner of the dining room he always does when hes tired, i stay up late due to my job so 1:30/2:00 is my normal bed time so i never wake them up unnaturally.

is this not just old age? as he was my first i dont know how long they generally live for? or if they show signs of old age?

Grace6446 · 05-29-2019, 08:02 PM

Responding because I have a similar question.

I’ve had a Syrian hamster for about a week (unsure of gender). I had been housing it in a small commercial cage, but just upgraded to a bin today with about 900 inches of run space. I notice my hamster jumping at one corner for minutes at a time - a similar behavior to what they used to do during tub free time. When I stick my hand in the hamster either diverts to another area of the cage (only to come right back once I move) or tries to climb on me - it definitely is not wanting “bonding” time with me at this point.

I know jumping like this is a stress sign - do you think from the cage change, or am I still not big enough to even satisfy it for a day? When do I need to be concerned?