Hamster getting herself stuck - worried about stress

[ScottiB]

Hi guys hope you can help

first some background - my gf has had her new hamster for a couple of months and it's still not tame, it hates being handled and is a real biter. we've been feeding from hand now for a little over a week and Pookie seemed to be getting better but she still bites at least once every feeding session.

Now the problem, Pookie has started to exhibit another bit of strange behaviour, she occasionally tries to move all of the bedding and shavings in the cage into one compartment (we have a Rotastak plastic modular cage)
The first time she did it we just cleaned the cage out, put all fresh shavings in and she was fine.

Yesterday her cage was cleaned out again but last night she decided to start moving all the bedding around again and she got herself stuck in the long bendy tube. My gf woke up to find her screeching in the tube.

Can anyone advise as to why she is doing this? Is there anything that we can do to help her?

Some additional info that may help -
* When we first had her we bought her a plastic house but she didnt use it, insteady she just piled the bedding in a corner and slept on top - we took the house out
* The weather is warm and a bit humid but pookie is kept out of direct sunlight
* she has lots of chew toys in the cage, she uses the wheel a lot and she is allowed to run around in a ball a couple of times a day
* she hates the play pen that we bought her and starts to screech whenever we put her in it

[souffle]

Hi Scott and welcome.
The problem you have encountered is common in hamsters kept in these types of cage. Clearly she has grown to big for the tubes if she has gotten stuck in there and they get all sticky and sweaty and can get chest problems as mould grows in the humid atmousphere.
Taming is hard because access is difficult.
If I were you I would attempt to return the cage saying it is unfit for purpose and your hamster got stuck dangerously in a tube. Then buy the biggest, easily accessable cage you can find or even make a bin cage from a large storage box for her until you get her tamed at least.
Have a look on the WIKI at our taming tips article and see if that helps. Start again as if she were new.
Keep us posted

[ScottiB]

thanks, I have found access very difficult and think that a bin cage would help with the taming.

With regards the current cage though, she only got stuck in the tube because she packed so much of her bedding and shavings in there. She is still pretty young and small, she moves around the tubes fine usually

[SnickersTheFirst]

I'm with Souffle on saying that's it's most likely due to the cage that she is stressed. Ventilation in these cages is poor so can get very humid during Summer, also the tubes are difficult for dwarves to climb as they have furry feet.

Where is the cage from and how long ago did you buy it?

Most shops will refund you for the cage if you tell them that it's not suitable and it could injure your hamster. Maybe go for a tank type cage such as the Mini Duna or Imac Bingo (both £30 each) as these are alot more suitable.

Welcome to the forum too.

[souffle]

Is Pookie a dwarf or a syrian? It is still dangerous if she gets stuck because she would have no access to water and the stress can make them ill too. If she was screetching she was obviously quite upset.
She is still young and new and with time and patience I'm sure you will win her round x

[ScottiB]

sorry for not clarifying

Pookie is a Syrian, about 4 months old, we got her from a local pet store so I do not think she was handled as a baby

it's the sudden change of behaviour of moving her bedding around that is causing the problem and causing us to worry

for now, i've asked my GF to remove the twisty tube leaving just vertical tubes in the cage

[KatiePillow]

Hamsters tend to rearrange their houses, and they feel safe in the tubes, hense why they block themselves in. However it's not healthy for them.. Pookie would probably benefit from a one level cage but with lots of substrate so she could dig herself tunnels ( better ventilation than a plastic tube) and lots of hidey holes.

[ScottiB]

thanks all,

pookie is still stressing out and pushing all the wood shavings around the cage, she's having a really strange day so we've put her cage in a quiet dark room in hope that she calms down. she looked so happy and relaxed yesterday.



I think that i'm going to order a ZZ2 cage for her

[AliKati]

Hello Scott and Pookie.

Yeah, I'm with the others on this too. When we first bring them home, they're a little scared at all the changes and try to barricade themselves in the tubes instead of getting used to being in the open. In a Rotostak, this is tricky as it's quite difficult to get at them. I had a Peggy Metro which was easier, but still tricky. That whole process of trying to get them while they're trying to hide, makes them even more stressed.

Also, syrians grow at quite a surprising rate, so the little one that seemed quite ok in a smaller cage, suddenly is far too big and active for smaller cages. If you're up for making a bin cage, it's probably a good solution as you can put a lot of toys and a larger wheel when needed.

[racinghamster]

Hi Scott. I don`t really want to add more than what the other members have said, but all I would suggest is, get her a Zoozone. These Rotastak really are not cages, but more mimic a burrowing chamber that a hamster would have in the wild. So when she`s pulling nesting material and shavings into the tubes, she`s probably tring to create a safe-haven where she can hide and sleep during the day. Stress on a young hamster this age can bring about the deadly condition wet tail, which causes a runny diahorrea that can be fatal, so it`s really important that you are quiet and gentle around her and basically, let her do her own thing and just make sure she can`t go into those round bends tubes. It`s not worth risking. A dehydrated hamster can become a dead one in this heat!

Good luck and if you can, order her a Zoozone or have a look on ebay.