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Pebbles82 · 05-20-2019, 05:21 AM

That sounds good. Much better not to use the tubes and penthouse. With just the one shelf you will have more room for other items, like wheel, house, hideouts, floor toys etc. Assume it's the solid platform you've kept? I would also suggest removing the little pod house on the platform. They are nice, but if they nest in them they get stinky and need cleaning out a lot. Better to add a house on the base of the cage on top of the substrate, that is open underneath. You could put the pod house on the substrate as well as an extra hide as then it won't be enclosed plastic underneath.

So - wheel, good house on top of the substrate (a cardboard tissue box or shoe box with the base cut out would do so it's open underneath), plenty of substrate (they like to dig) I'd say 4 to 6" if possible. Cardboard tubes and tunnels at floor level. A chew stick. Just check she can access the shelf ok if the food and water are up there.

A big pile of torn up strips of toilet paper somewhere in the cage so she can take them to build a nest. Sometimes a larger floor toy is good too, like a cork log as that gives them some "overhead cover" when moving round the cage and is also something to climb over that's stable. And any familiar toys etc from her old cage.

You could use some of the tubes in a single short run, as a floor toy/tunnel. Although if she nests in them you might need to take them out again! If there is a good house available then she shouldn't nest in the tubes - putting a bendy bridge tunnel over the house entrance makes it dark inside and gives a tunnel entrance, so that should encourage her to use the house you provide.

05-20-2019, 05:21 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Cage change That sounds good. Much better not to use the tubes and penthouse. With just the one shelf you will have more room for other items, like wheel, house, hideouts, floor toys etc. Assume it's the solid platform you've kept? I would also suggest removing the little pod house on the platform. They are nice, but if they nest in them they get stinky and need cleaning out a lot. Better to add a house on the base of the cage on top of the substrate, that is open underneath. You could put the pod house on the substrate as well as an extra hide as then it won't be enclosed plastic underneath. So - wheel, good house on top of the substrate (a cardboard tissue box or shoe box with the base cut out would do so it's open underneath), plenty of substrate (they like to dig) I'd say 4 to 6" if possible. Cardboard tubes and tunnels at floor level. A chew stick. Just check she can access the shelf ok if the food and water are up there. A big pile of torn up strips of toilet paper somewhere in the cage so she can take them to build a nest. Sometimes a larger floor toy is good too, like a cork log as that gives them some "overhead cover" when moving round the cage and is also something to climb over that's stable. And any familiar toys etc from her old cage. You could use some of the tubes in a single short run, as a floor toy/tunnel. Although if she nests in them you might need to take them out again! If there is a good house available then she shouldn't nest in the tubes - putting a bendy bridge tunnel over the house entrance makes it dark inside and gives a tunnel entrance, so that should encourage her to use the house you provide.