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Pebbles82 · 11-21-2017, 03:21 PM

Aw she's lovely. It looks very nice. My first instinct is - get her a bigger house. A shoe box would do with a hole cut in for a door. Cut the bottom out and use the lid as a lift off roof. And then put a bendy bridge tunnel over the door - makes it dark inside and makes a ramp to the roof. When they have a bigger house they do a lot of hamstery things in it and there's room for a large winter nest. And it's somewhere dark to retreat to.

Rodipet also make good houses but they're a bit expensive, especially with the postage.

Or this Ferplast Sin Rabbit house makes a good sized nesting box. It's quite tall so I find it works best sat on the bottom of the cage with about 2" of substrate inside and substrate piled up round the outside to make the entrance smaller - and a bendy bridge over the door. It's also big enough to put a litter tray inside - if you put it in the back right corner opposite the door she'll probably use it. It fits together like a jigsaw and the roof lifts off. With a lift off roof you can check inside without her nest collapsing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-84...n+rabbit+house

I would also add a platform - then she has something to sit under or sit on - they like sitting on a shelf. This trixie one isn't too expensive and it's tall enough to sit above the substrate. That would also make it cosier and maybe a bit less exposed and you can put extra things on the platform.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Natu...living+shelter

If you have it at the opposite end to the house and move the wheel along a bit, you could have deeper substrate at that end, next to and under the platform. I use a cork log like the one you have, next to a platform as a ramp up onto it and also as a tunnel leading under it.

I think that would make a big difference. You have lots of space in there and it looks lovely but could maybe be fuller for a hammy who can then make it nice and messy!

I think the cleanouts may be stressing her as well. Maybe only do a substrate clean every two months and just spot clean in between - and if she starts using a litter tray you could go even longer. Also best not to use any scented cleaning stuff as that can really upset them - it smells much stronger to them than us. Just warm water or a bit of washing up liquid water is fine. And do the wheel another time and the other things another time again. It means something always smells familiar

I also leave the nest unless it's pee'd in then try and leave a bit of the old nest behind even if it's a bit whiffy and put some more paper out. Do you remove her hoards when you clean too? Best to leave any dried hoard unless it's pee'd on - it can last quite a long time. If you do remove any then replace it with new food in the same place.

I use one of these corner litter trays for a potty, with Chinchilla bathing sand in - it fits nicely in the corner of a large house and then you just lift the roof off the house to take the potty out and clean it and put it back.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamster-cor...=hamster+potty

The Germans reckon hamsters need houses with rooms - one for nesting, one for a potty, one for hoarding and so on. I don't think the rooms are essential personally, but have found a large house with a litter tray in works well and then they hoard, nest and toilet inside the house and use the potty.

So I think with some adjustments she may feel more settled in there and not want to chew her way out. And that maybe the combination of not enough dark places to retreat to and full clean outs, is stressing her a bit.

11-21-2017, 03:21 PM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: An Unhappy Hamster Aw she's lovely. It looks very nice. My first instinct is - get her a bigger house. A shoe box would do with a hole cut in for a door. Cut the bottom out and use the lid as a lift off roof. And then put a bendy bridge tunnel over the door - makes it dark inside and makes a ramp to the roof. When they have a bigger house they do a lot of hamstery things in it and there's room for a large winter nest. And it's somewhere dark to retreat to. Rodipet also make good houses but they're a bit expensive, especially with the postage. Or this Ferplast Sin Rabbit house makes a good sized nesting box. It's quite tall so I find it works best sat on the bottom of the cage with about 2" of substrate inside and substrate piled up round the outside to make the entrance smaller - and a bendy bridge over the door. It's also big enough to put a litter tray inside - if you put it in the back right corner opposite the door she'll probably use it. It fits together like a jigsaw and the roof lifts off. With a lift off roof you can check inside without her nest collapsing. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-84...n+rabbit+house I would also add a platform - then she has something to sit under or sit on - they like sitting on a shelf. This trixie one isn't too expensive and it's tall enough to sit above the substrate. That would also make it cosier and maybe a bit less exposed and you can put extra things on the platform. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Natu...living+shelter If you have it at the opposite end to the house and move the wheel along a bit, you could have deeper substrate at that end, next to and under the platform. I use a cork log like the one you have, next to a platform as a ramp up onto it and also as a tunnel leading under it. I think that would make a big difference. You have lots of space in there and it looks lovely but could maybe be fuller for a hammy who can then make it nice and messy! I think the cleanouts may be stressing her as well. Maybe only do a substrate clean every two months and just spot clean in between - and if she starts using a litter tray you could go even longer. Also best not to use any scented cleaning stuff as that can really upset them - it smells much stronger to them than us. Just warm water or a bit of washing up liquid water is fine. And do the wheel another time and the other things another time again. It means something always smells familiar I also leave the nest unless it's pee'd in then try and leave a bit of the old nest behind even if it's a bit whiffy and put some more paper out. Do you remove her hoards when you clean too? Best to leave any dried hoard unless it's pee'd on - it can last quite a long time. If you do remove any then replace it with new food in the same place. I use one of these corner litter trays for a potty, with Chinchilla bathing sand in - it fits nicely in the corner of a large house and then you just lift the roof off the house to take the potty out and clean it and put it back. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamster-cor...=hamster+potty The Germans reckon hamsters need houses with rooms - one for nesting, one for a potty, one for hoarding and so on. I don't think the rooms are essential personally, but have found a large house with a litter tray in works well and then they hoard, nest and toilet inside the house and use the potty. So I think with some adjustments she may feel more settled in there and not want to chew her way out. And that maybe the combination of not enough dark places to retreat to and full clean outs, is stressing her a bit.