Is changing cages stressful to a hamster?

[vulpecula]

My dear syrian Momo passed away recently and I now have an empty Detolf. I still have my other syrian, Sulo, who currently lives in a 80x40x40cm tank, and I'm wondering if I should move him to the Detolf. He's almost two years old but very active, and I'm sure he would enjoy the extra floor space if he starts having a hard time with climbing and using the wheel. But would changing cages be very stressful to an older ham? He's pretty happy in his current tank but more space is always nice.

Does anyone have any experience on a situation like this?

[Pebbles82]

His tank is a good size But he may enjoy the detolf as well. Yes changing cages can be stressful for them, but there are ways to make it less so. If you keep all the substrate from the tank and spread it on top of new substrate in the detolf (particularly at one end where his house and usual layout are) then it will still smell familiar. Also try and set up the layout so everything is similar to the previous layout - at least partly at one end - eg wheel, house and toys and so on, in the same kind of location as before. You could add some new things at the empty end! Or have his wheel in a different place at the other end with familiar toys "en route". Main thing is - don't clean any toys, houses or wheel when you move him - they'll be fine for a couple of weeks. You could also let him play in the detolf with some new substrate and a few new toys in a couple of times before moving him. I did this when I upgraded Charlie and he settled in really well afterwards. He had already explored it and kind of scent marked a bit in doing so and it wasn't completely cold turkey when he moved. I kept his layout similar - house at the same end, wheel on the back wall, even though some other things were new/different.

[daphnephoebe]

It could be stressful, but as said you can minimise this.

You can neutralise it with a 50/50 dilution mix of white vinegar and water. This will remove all the smells of your other hammie.

Put some of his old substrate & bedding in. Keep his toys, wheel etc as they are. once he's settled in you can clean them.

I routinely change my hammies cages as bigger ones become available, and the stress is minimal and short lived.

[vulpecula]

Thanks for the tips, this was super helpful!