Toilet help!

[maudie222]

Hi my female Syrian is burrowing under Kaytee substrate aside her Trixie labyrinth house and wee'ing there. I'm removing the whole section abt twice a week but given it's quite deep, that's quite a lot of bedding. The area she's wee'ing isn't big enough to put any kind of container. I read salt pigs can be used for toilets so I bought one and filled wi sand and put some old wee substrate in. I put it on top of the house and she kicked sand out of it onto her house. I'm wondering if it's too small for a female Syrian anyhow. So I'm now thinking of:

- persevering with the salt pig but finding another place for it
- putting brown paper at the bottom of the area she's wee'ing in and putting loo roll on that with the Kaytee on top. I'd then put back the top layer if not sooner wet.
- trying a rodipet loo in the house.

Then about poo. I haven't found any anywhere for weeks. Should I be worried?

[cypher]

The Trixie labyrinth house is very small for a Syrian so probably not enough room to put any kind of litter tray in there really.
Don't put brown paper in.
I would just continue with the substrate & toilet tissue & remove as little as you can get away with when you spot clean.
Kicking sand everywhere is all part of thr fun

I would be concerned if you can't find any poo anywhere, have a bit of a dig around in the substrate & see if it's getting buried somewhere.

[maudie222]

Thanks for your help on this and my substrate question. Can I trouble you with a couple more? Only if you don't mind. Here goes: so I have a Trixie sandblasted log in the cage but I'm thinking it cld be putting my hammy off burrowing if it's too heavy on top. Before I saw bits off do hamsters generally burrow where there isn't stuff on top? Then with the multi chamber house. I'm thinking I might raise it up and put more substrate underneath to encourage more burrowing again. I think some people buy grass hammocks and tie around outside part of the cage so the substrate doesn't fall out. Have you heard of this too?

[LunaTheHamster1]

When I had the Savic Plaza, I used grass mats or cardboard around the side to get more bedding in. I did a video on it, if that helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doZJJHCW1fs&t=42s

[cypher]

It is best not to put anything too heavy directly on top of the substrate most hams will tend to burrow under anything (at least mine do!) but it’s best to be on the safe side.
Grass mats are good, I’ve done the same thing with hemp mat & just plain cardboard.

[maudie222]

Hi thanks everyone. Question for Luna, what do you use to attach cardboard to the outside? Are the mats from Rosewood did you say? Thnks

[LunaTheHamster1]

Originally Posted by maudie222

Hi thanks everyone. Question for Luna, what do you use to attach cardboard to the outside? Are the mats from Rosewood did you say? Thnks

Rosewood or Trixie mats, i put links in the description on the video. You can use sisal or jute. Normally a £1 or £2 from garden centres or wilkos if you are in the UK. Trixie mats come with ties on, Rosewoods you will need to add ties.

[maudie222]

Thanks very much!

[maudie222]

Hi again, another question about toilets please. Is it ok to put a small piece of cardboard on the base of the cage in the area which gets pee’d on and put substrate on top? I’d change the cardboard when it soaks up the wee and hope the base doesn’t smell too much.

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by maudie222

Hi again, another question about toilets please. Is it ok to put a small piece of cardboard on the base of the cage in the area which gets pee’d on and put substrate on top? I’d change the cardboard when it soaks up the wee and hope the base doesn’t smell too much.

Yes, cardboard is fine.
Couldn't you put a sand filled plastic corner toilet in her peeing corner and move the house a bit to make space for it?