Bit too much of a fan of the zoo plus large lodge

[Minijellybeans]

So I hadn't been seeing a lot of Oliver since I got his large lodge, I began to worry he was unwell. He wasn't active, no sightings just the occasional scratching sound. Obviously I was happy he seemed to like it but I've now removed the lodge as I think it could have a bad impact on his health.
Once removed I realised he was eating sleeping and even peeing in there. Being made of wood this had caused quiet a smell and green marks to apear which I think are the beginnings of Mold. I had checked on him everyday but he would just stay in the cabin. It wasn't until I got the lodge out of the cage into the light that I realised where he had been peeing.
What could cause this behaviour? Our room is pretty quiet, not much activity expect for night times when we finish from work around 11-1am but even so it's only watching tv.
With it being so big it's made his cage look a lot more empty, he still has plenty of places to choose from to sleep hide food and play but I feel bad for taking away something he liked. He wasn't active at all, didn't go on his wheel no playing with toys or exploring as far as I saw.
Did I do the right thing removing it?

Link to the lodge so u can see just how big it is; Playhouse and Cabin Leif: Great Deals on Small Pet Cabins at Zooplus

[souffle]

He will soon settle without it. It looks very enclosed and stuffy in there and if he is weeing inside it it will not be doing his chest any good. You did the right thing in removing it. This is why I don't like wood as they do pee on it and it does not clean
See how he goes on without it. Just give him a big pile of tissue to make a nest with.

[cypher]

Once they've peed on wood you can never get it out so if you do use a different wooden house at any time be sure to paint the inside with plastikote first!
If you use a larger house you need to put a litter tray in really as they do tend to pee in the house if it's big enough although I think that house or rather the rooms in it are a bit small for a syrian, I've used it with a couple of dwarf hams & they loved it but both used a litter tray so no problems there.
What are you using for a house or nesting area now you've taken it out?
Cardboard boxes with the base removed can make good houses & if he does pee in it they're easily replaced & without several rooms he will probably make his hoard, pee & everything else in different places rather than just staying indoors!

I think some hams will hide away if they have a nice big house or lots of deep substrate, they're all different so you just have to see what suits yours, if he seems more active & generally happier without a large multi roomed house then removing it was the best thing to do.

[flowerfairy]

I took the bottom off the bottom of one of these for my cream fluffy syrian beauty, Aran. He seems very happy with it. Its on top of a big pile of fitch bedding!

[Pebbles82]

I've found the same as Cypher says - when they have a large house (especially with rooms or compartments) they do make areas for nesting, hoarding and toiletting inside the house. Our Syrian has a labyrinth house as well (bigger than the Leif) and his potty is in one room, his nest in another and his hoard in another. It becomes the equivalent of a burrow.

The cardboard house idea is good - a shoebox eg. If you cut the bottom out you can use the lid as a lift-off roof for checking inside.

Another option is this one - they're quite cheap and also cardboard so can be replaced if necessary, plus a hamster potty will fit inside. I had a wood guinea pig house this size and it worked well with a potty inside and a bendy stick bridge over the door so it was dark inside (plus it gives access to the flat roof on top). I put these in the freezer for a week before using though in case anything living in the hay! It's not as large as the Leif house - less deep and less wide, but taller, so it works well partly submerged under the substrate to make the door lower. With it being open inside your hamster will nest furthest away from the door most likely, in one end, and pee at the other end (which is where the potty needs to go). Or it might be easier plastikoting a smooth wood house then it's wipe clean.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosewood-Na...73B4K05TYDTQD8

A house with a lift-off roof is good though - easy to empty the potty without taking the house out and the nest falling apart. Rodipet make really good hamster houses but they're not cheap and postage adds about £7 to the cost (you can use google translate on the page).

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/haeuser/rodipet-granit/

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/haeuser/...s-stecksystem/

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/haeuser/...-xxl-5in1.html

This is the Syrian sized labyrinth house I have - but it's really big! But a potty fits easily in the larger rooms.

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/haeuser/...x26cm-7cm.html

I actually think this one is better - smaller than the Lief and squarer and rooms big enough to fit a potty as well. They are all quite lightweight birch plywood and smooth so easy to paint inside with plastikote.

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/haeuser/...x28cm-7cm.html

I think hamsters like those top doors - but if your hamster is getting older it might be best not to have one - ours can't use the top door any more as he can't climb now he's older.