An Unhappy Hamster

[Pebbles82]

What kind of lid do you have the detolf? Just wondering if something hanging from the roof might help too - eg a rat sputnik. I put bits of food in ours and it tempts our hammy in and then he likes sitting in there. Some hamsters even make a nest in them if you put some bedding in as well as a treat or two.

[amyyxj]

We just have a wooden lid with mesh in the middle, we made it ourselves so it’s not the best quality thing but it works fine. I’ve had hanging chews in there before and she enjoyed those so maybe she’d like something like a sputnik. I made some cardboard houses today I’ll put them into her cage when she wakes up, hopefully I’ll get some more sand soon too.

[Pebbles82]

Yes it's difficult attaching anything too heavy to mesh.

[herbi7]

My first hamster was just like this. Whatever I did she wanted to get out. I think your setup looks great. My ham used to come out for 2 hours every evening but I got the feeling that even my flat wasn't big enough for her. Some hamsters are just free spirits. In the wild the females go out and find their mates and travel miles each night and when we keep them captive they can't do this natural behaviour so they naturally get frustrated. I kept mine as happy as I could but she was a full time job till two weeks before she died. She was worst when she was in season. (every 4 days) It's often the girls who are the most restless. Does yours like climbing? I could keep mine happy for up to an hour climbing up things like piles of duvets and stuff. Luckily she didn't chew when she was busy, only when she was bored or trying to make a nest. Good luck with yours!