[Pebbles82]

What I did in the end was have a smaller box inside the playpen. Pip seemed happy in the box but then when I went to gently handle him he climbed out of the box and into the playpen. You need a high sided box! Ironically he wasn't scared in the playpen any more then and got used to it and explored it a bit. Putting some food in various places and a chew stick distracts them out of feeling scared. Pip ended up happily sitting chewing a chew stick. It did also give me an opportunity to handle him a little bit - in the box. Which he accepted and I think has done some good - but then wriggled free and ran away.

I sometimes think we are more nervous about it than they are.

Orko's cage is now his familiar territory so he will feel safe in there, even if he goes over to the other side of the cage, away from the bit you're demolishing! When he goes back in there (if you do get him out) and sees everything is back to normal he will get used to this kind of thing. And sometimes they're happier seeing the damp stuff has been removed. They're ready for it.

But with a large cage with a lot of substrate and depth of substrate it can go quite a time - the substrate itself has some natural airing in a way - it's not completely airless under there as substrate breathes too. Hence houses open underneath to substrate are better for ventilation.