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Pebbles82 · 09-16-2018, 12:59 PM

Very pleased Gus has come round! It can take a while for them to feel confident. He looks adorable (and cheeky) and is lucky to have such a nice play area out of cage.

Re the cage - agree the Rosewood Pico isn't good - especially with the house at the top. What replacement cage did you get? The Alaska is a good option and the 28cm trixie wheel on zooplus.

Re moving them over - it can be stressful but it can also be a smooth transition if you prepare. I find it helps to let them play in the new cage a couple of times - a couple of days before moving them over. So have it with new substrate in and a few toys and a toy or two from the old cage and something to hide in or under and let him play in it. When he wants to come out put him back in his old cage and put the old toys back in the old cage again. You could either do that again a day later. Or then move him over after just one explore. I think two is better but one is better than cold turkey!

On the day you move him over - put him somewhere safe - a pet carrier maybe - for a couple of hours if it's daytime and he can sleep. Then take all the old bedding out of the old cage and spread it on top of the new bedding in the new cage and move the house, toys etc across to the new cage (without cleaning anything) and try and set it up in the same or very similar layout - eg house, wheel, toys etc in the same place they were to each other before. Also move his nest and hoard across inside the house without cleaning them out,

He should settle in very quickly doing it that way. It's tempting to leave them in the new cage during the first play if they're enjoying it but then they can panic and it can take another couple of weeks settling in time and taming set back - i think a gradual transition works best.

09-16-2018, 12:59 PM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Help! Very temperamental new Syrian. Very pleased Gus has come round! It can take a while for them to feel confident. He looks adorable (and cheeky) and is lucky to have such a nice play area out of cage. Re the cage - agree the Rosewood Pico isn't good - especially with the house at the top. What replacement cage did you get? The Alaska is a good option and the 28cm trixie wheel on zooplus. Re moving them over - it can be stressful but it can also be a smooth transition if you prepare. I find it helps to let them play in the new cage a couple of times - a couple of days before moving them over. So have it with new substrate in and a few toys and a toy or two from the old cage and something to hide in or under and let him play in it. When he wants to come out put him back in his old cage and put the old toys back in the old cage again. You could either do that again a day later. Or then move him over after just one explore. I think two is better but one is better than cold turkey! On the day you move him over - put him somewhere safe - a pet carrier maybe - for a couple of hours if it's daytime and he can sleep. Then take all the old bedding out of the old cage and spread it on top of the new bedding in the new cage and move the house, toys etc across to the new cage (without cleaning anything) and try and set it up in the same or very similar layout - eg house, wheel, toys etc in the same place they were to each other before. Also move his nest and hoard across inside the house without cleaning them out, He should settle in very quickly doing it that way. It's tempting to leave them in the new cage during the first play if they're enjoying it but then they can panic and it can take another couple of weeks settling in time and taming set back - i think a gradual transition works best.