scratching in corners

[lorrapaw]

I got felix just over a week ago and he is doing fine. But we got a big plastic box for him to play in at night. We put him in it with some food and toys but all he semms to do is go mad in the corners scrabbling and scratching a way like hes trying to burrow or something with his paws going about a hundred miles an hour. I dont actually know what hes doing or why hes doing it, anyone got any ideas?

[racinghamster]

If his actual cage is large enough in terms of floor space, he shouldn`t need a play box. Chances are he`s confused? Scraping and digging can be frustration or an attempt to hide. Is Felix a dwarf or a syrian?

[StarlightSerenity]

Sounds like he's trying to get out, what size is the playbox? What size is his cage? My syrian has a 80cm x 50cm cage and her playpen, which she goes in for about an hour each night (more or less depending on how she feels), is roughly 75cm x 150cm.

Unless the playpen is much, much larger than the cage I don't think it's worth it and more likely to cause confusion.

[lorrapaw]

We just put him in it for about half an hour each night so he can get used to me as i pet him and get him used to me lifting him. Do u think i should keep doing this?

[StarlightSerenity]

Really depends what the box is like and how you are going about it and what his reaction is.

Would you be able to answer the other questions? Just for us to get a better picture, otherwise we may end up giving the wrong advice and only be able to give general statements which probably won't be helpful to you.

[lorrapaw]

Hi hes a syrian and hes 7 weeks old. His cage is length 43cm x 36cm wide his playbox is 50cm length and 23cm wide.

[StarlightSerenity]

Ah. Neither are big enough sadly. Syrians need a cage that is roughly 80cm x 50cm. Playpens/boxes should be much bigger, purely (at least in my opinion) to make it worth it.

What size is his wheel? He will need one that is at least 8inches, although something 10inches or bigger prevents any risk of him damaging his back.

[lorrapaw]

Hi his cage is quite high with tubes coming out of it and his wheel is quite big. He spends a lot of time in his tubes and on his wheel. Ive had hamsters before and just kept them in cage with no playbox. But i thought this would be a good way to tame him gently and slowly and he is coming on. Do u think i should keep this up? i have only had him for a week.

[StarlightSerenity]

Height and tubes don't count towards floor space though and he may be spending a lot of time in both of things things purely because he doesn't much space. You can upgrade his cage really cheaply by making a bin cage or buying one second hand. He really does need it - his current cage is almost half the size of what it should be. What is the exact size of the wheel? Luna's old 8inch wheel looks big but it's tiny compared to her 12inch Flying Saucer.

Generally speaking, a box is a good place to put a hamster when taming (I don't like the whole, stick you hand in their cage with a treat method of taming) but it does depend on the box. How tall is it? If you have to pick him up, pet him or whatever by coming from above it will scare him and stress him out (could be the reason for him scrabbling at the corners). Hamsters are prey animals and being so small, most things that want to eat them come from above.

[Michelle89]

Is it a rotastak cage you have for him just thinking since you said the tubes go up?