[suby6]

Hi all,

We have had our robo since late december and replaced its cage to this in photo in early January. It has seemed to be happy with it until just this week. Not sure what the issue is. Cage gives about 550sq inches between the 2 floors.

The cage design is limiting in where the wheel can be placed and it cannot be relocated. Because of the design I have always kept the bedding deeply packed around the back and side perimeters and low around the front middle to keep the wheel clear. Have shortened the ramp between floors to maximize bedding space, and added a tube run for more space. Recently have been trying to add a litter box but cant find where it pees so hasn't been effective.
Most recently I took the wheel off the cage's mount and put it on the metal stand (is a 6.5 silent spinner) so that It is now mounter higher up and I could provide it even more bedding which I thought it would be happy about. I also moved the jar I am trying to use as a litter box from the front left side to the front right side.

Ever since I made these 2 changes he/ she seems to be moving much of its bedding late at night away from the back corners where its full to maximum height, to around the wheel. The wheel ends up looking like a tire stuck in he mud as its buried so deep (not just hitting the bottom but well above the inside lip of the wheel). This results in the wheel not being able to turn. He seems to be pushing it from the back corners where I know he has burrows made. I sort it out and he just does it again.

I wake a lot through the night and always go say hi when I do. I never see him doing this though. Usually he is a little wheel addict and does that all night. When I find him after he has moved the bedding he seems stressed, maybe as the wheel no longer will work. At that time he also seems to try and climb up to the second floor from down at the wheel instead of using the ramp. The ramp is no challenge for him though. I fixed it at 4am last night so he could use the wheel again but upon waking up this morning found he moved it and buried the wheel again. He seems to do this mostly towards dawn as when I wake and see him from midnight to 2am range he is just running on the wheel as usual.

Anyway, not sure what the problem is.
Is he just bored?
Unhappy about something?
Maybe I'm filling the back and sides too deeply? Though it can only be 4.5" deep anyway
Maybe the cage needs cleaning? Its been about 6 weeks now I think since full clean out. Could his old burrows just be too gross for him now and wants new ones?

Thoughts/ guidance?
Thanks!