[Pebbles82]

Hello. Best not to clean anything at all for the first two weeks while he’s settling in. If you can’t smell anything, don’t worry! If you can, don’t worry - it’ll be fine for two weeks. They need that time to fully settle into the cage, with our where they will nest and work out a routine/route in the cage. And scent mark to find their way around.

If he has been out of the cage during these first 2 or 3 days that process may have been delayed a bit. Usually it’s recommended to leave them alone in the cage for the first two or three days. So he may be a bit disorientated in the cage with it being new, and coming out as well.

I would suggest starting again and don’t get him out for two or three days. He is probably still deciding where to build a nest if he’s investigated the smaller house but by coming out of the cage he is not fully settled in it/accepted it as his new permanent environment would be my guess.

Normally they do choose the labyrinth house - because it’s dark inside. However because you have a tunnel going under the substrate that has probably tempted him down there instead and yes he’s probably nesting at the bottom of the cage. Partly that will be being a bit scared as well. Hiding away.

I suggest you remove the tube. I know it sounds mean but he’ll get over it! Then he will be looking for another tunnel entrance and cover - the Rodipet house has a kind of tunnel entrance. To encourage him in there you could even put the tube in front of the house entrance. Also put a smelly treat inside the labyrinth house - maybe one in the front left compartment and a light trail of food leading to it.

Put the nesting material in a pile very near the house entrance. I’d do this tomorrow early evening and don’t get him out of the cage for two or three nights. He’ll probably move into the house overnight.

Meanwhile you can talk to him through the cage and offer him treats through the bars. So he gets familiarity still - gets to know your voices and scent. He is probably quite overwhelmed by everything being new.

It’s hard when you just want to handle him but normally it’s best not to get them out for handling and taming for two to three days - and not during that first two weeks - unless he shows clear signs of wanting to come out after the first few days - eg coming to the cage door. Patience is the key because in 10 days to two weeks he will be confident and be enjoying his new environment. You can almost see a personality change.

Is the toilet inside the labyrinth house? If not, put it in the middle back compartment. Assume it’s the largest labyrinth house for Syrians? They nearly always build their nest in the front left larger compartment and use the middle back in as a toilet - because they lead to each other abd the front left is the darkest area.

Apart from removing or moving the tube, don’t change anything else right now or move anything.

During the first two weeks I would only spot clean the pee or empty the toilet once - after a week. If it’s clear where the pee area is. As you don’t know where it is I wouldn’t bother. Once he’s moved into the house you can check the lower substrate area where the tube was in a couple of weeks and spot clean that but then.

It’s easy when they nest in the house as you just take the roof off to take the toilet out and empty it. They will only pee in the toilet once they get inti a routine. Having said that, young hansters do sometimes pee in the nest at first but grow out of that pretty quickly. I hope he doesn’t as it’s usually best not to remove the nest at all - sometimes you have to if it’s pee’d in but then try and leave most of it behind - the dry stuff - even if a bit whiffy! And out new nesting material out near the house - keep topping that up as it goes down.

It would help if you could post a photo of the cage set up. Sometimes the location of the house puts them off using it.