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Old 06-29-2020, 11:04 AM  
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Bar Biting/Taming help please!!

I agree with cypher on the substrate and a house/nesting box and a tweak of the set up.

It sounds like she hasn't settled after the move and still has stress from that. That can happen if the move is cold turkey and the layout is different and you didn't move everything over without cleaning it. Also they then need about two weeks without any clean outs to settle again.

Although cage changes are also stressful, it can kind of "shock" her out of it as well -and if it's an improved layout she will approve.

My only observation is they need to feel secure about accessing things and the ladder up to the high coconut is open runged isn't it? If there is something about the layout they're not happy with they don't settle. Also if you clean her out too much.

So I'd try this. While she is out of the cage in a secure place. As Cypher said - fill the cage base with substrate - almost to the top of the base. I'd screw the hanging coconut over the shelf and get rid of the ladder up to it - it should be low enough over the shelf for her to hop into and if not put a bendy stick bridge in front of it - a solid ramp/bridge. I'd leave the wood house where it is next to the shelf and add another house atthe end where the coconut was. A shoebox house is ideal - big enough to build a big cosy nest inside. Cut the base out of the shoe box and keep the lid as a lift off roof. So the house is open underneath onto the substrate and she can bury hoards under her nest and burrow down. Cut a hole for a door at one of the long ends of the shoe box - the other end will be darker - they need somewhere dark. Another bendy stick bridge tunnel over the entrance to the door - this makes a ramp onto the house roof and also makes the house darker inside.

Add a couple of toilet roll tubes to the cage floor base as tunnels/toys.

Don't move her nest but put some treats and food inside the new house and a big pile of toilet paper torn into strips near the new house. She will probablymove in over a day or two and either move her nest or build a new one with the toilet paper strips (or a bit of both).

The change should distract her and it's also a positive change so she should approve.

I would also suggest scatter feeding but still put food in the food bowl - put the same amount in the food bowl and just scatter a little bit extra in the cage.

Hope all that helps. When you put her back in the cage, leave her alone for a couple of days and don't clean anything for two weeks. As you'll then have deeper substrate you can just "spot clean" mostly and not need to do a substrate change for a couple of months or more. You just take out a handful of whiffy substrate and replace it with a clean handful and mix it in.

They key is so something always smells familiar. So when you do come to change all the substrate, don't clean anything else at the same time- you can do the wheel another week and any other items another week again. It is only their pee that is smelly or unclean so no need to worry about clean areas of substrate. You can pick out the odd poop if they start taking over but they are not dirty really and they eat them sometimes (normal).

Do you have a sand bath? They will often use that as a toilet.
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