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Pebbles82 · 11-08-2019, 02:53 AM

It is all very early days

They usually need a good 10 days to two weeks to fully settle and adjust to a new cage and new environment. During that period it's best not to clean anythng or change things around etc. Adding the odd new thing is usually accepted well as long as you don't take something else away or move things much!

Until he has made it his own - scent marked everywhere and formed a routine and habits, he will be skitty and nervous.

It doesn't mean he isn't active - it sounds more like he is hiding away until after lights out. He is probably out and about in the cage at night. You could put a bit of substrate on top of his wheel before you go to bed and see if it's gone in the morning then you'll know he's been using his wheel.

It is also getting cooler and they tend to come out less and keep cosy in the nest unless the room is warm and cosy.

One thing that can make them hide away more as well is if they feel a bit exposed in a cage - so with a large cage like the detofl you need plenty of (possibly large) floor toys so they can move around and always dive under something. It's a good idea to have a platform, a large house that's dark inside and things like the large cork logs make good floor toys - a big tunnel to run through and an interesting texture to climb over. Also lots of hidey places - a coconut hut eg, cardboard tissue boxes make good extra hides.

German tank set ups often have one long shelf along the back of a tank with a ramp up either side or even extending round one side( a "racetrack") although it would be really long in a detolf.

You can make a platform easily with a piece of kiln dried pine wood (make sure there are no splintery edges - sandpaper is your friend!) with dowels stuck on for legs. Or people use Ikea Knuff magazine racks to make shelves.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ik...w=1252&bih=554

If you have a photo of the current set up we could advise if it's best to leave everything as it is for the first couple of weeks while he's adjusting - or whether to do some tweaking

This detolf set up is way beyond my creative skills but might give some ideas!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125312803@N06/14203399270

Or this one. They do need somewhere dark to retreat to. This one has a large, semi submerged house on the left. A shoe box house is fine. Cut the base out of a shoebox, keep the lid for a lift off roof (and makes another level) and cut a hole in one of the long sides at the far end (means the other end is darker) and put a bendy bridge over the entrance for a tunnel entrance (also makes it darker inside and makes a ramp up to the roof).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29840567@N03/7482824204

Sorry if you've already done this kind of thing already! Some people leave a detolf a bit too empty and exposed and a hamster may not feel very secure or have enough enrichment.

11-08-2019, 02:53 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	It is all very early days They usually need a good 10 days to two weeks to fully settle and adjust to a new cage and new environment. During that period it's best not to clean anythng or change things around etc. Adding the odd new thing is usually accepted well as long as you don't take something else away or move things much! Until he has made it his own - scent marked everywhere and formed a routine and habits, he will be skitty and nervous. It doesn't mean he isn't active - it sounds more like he is hiding away until after lights out. He is probably out and about in the cage at night. You could put a bit of substrate on top of his wheel before you go to bed and see if it's gone in the morning then you'll know he's been using his wheel. It is also getting cooler and they tend to come out less and keep cosy in the nest unless the room is warm and cosy. One thing that can make them hide away more as well is if they feel a bit exposed in a cage - so with a large cage like the detofl you need plenty of (possibly large) floor toys so they can move around and always dive under something. It's a good idea to have a platform, a large house that's dark inside and things like the large cork logs make good floor toys - a big tunnel to run through and an interesting texture to climb over. Also lots of hidey places - a coconut hut eg, cardboard tissue boxes make good extra hides. German tank set ups often have one long shelf along the back of a tank with a ramp up either side or even extending round one side( a "racetrack") although it would be really long in a detolf. You can make a platform easily with a piece of kiln dried pine wood (make sure there are no splintery edges - sandpaper is your friend!) with dowels stuck on for legs. Or people use Ikea Knuff magazine racks to make shelves. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ik...w=1252&bih=554 If you have a photo of the current set up we could advise if it's best to leave everything as it is for the first couple of weeks while he's adjusting - or whether to do some tweaking This detolf set up is way beyond my creative skills but might give some ideas! https://www.flickr.com/photos/125312803@N06/14203399270 Or this one. They do need somewhere dark to retreat to. This one has a large, semi submerged house on the left. A shoe box house is fine. Cut the base out of a shoebox, keep the lid for a lift off roof (and makes another level) and cut a hole in one of the long sides at the far end (means the other end is darker) and put a bendy bridge over the entrance for a tunnel entrance (also makes it darker inside and makes a ramp up to the roof). https://www.flickr.com/photos/29840567@N03/7482824204 Sorry if you've already done this kind of thing already! Some people leave a detolf a bit too empty and exposed and a hamster may not feel very secure or have enough enrichment. Last edited by souffle; 11-20-2019 at 09:05 AM.