new cage stress

[kyrilliondaemon]

Ellsbee - What cages are you moving him from/to? There're ways to do it most of the time, like we moved our syrian Scamp from a giant modular setup (with full sized cages attatched) to a big rabbit hutch by moving her bedroom into the hutch. She kept her bed and explored in her own time. Now she's even moved her bed into an open nest elsewhere so we can remove the modular "bedroom" if we want to.

Moving as much substrate/bedding/toys e.t.c over usually helps reassure the hamster too. Then we just leave them in peace to settle in and see how they feel a few days later.
So far only one of ours was unimpressed with a cage change and he was quite subtle about it which made it quite awkward. Turns out he doesn't like barred cages and is happier in tank-style ones.

[ellsbee]

Wow thanks everyone for the advice and support. Rockinhammies and stockannette that sounds like a really great idea, annoyed with myself for not thinking of that! Kyrilliondaemon the old cage is one I've not seen anywhere else and was actually second hand. The brand is "cooper", there are no tubes and it's one with bars which he used to love chewing on but hasn't done since he moved back into it. The new one was a crittertrail two. It's actually a bit smaller than the old one even though it's taller and I read what billybobbs said about Syrian needing more floor space than height. The crittertrail bars were too close together for him to chew on. I think the old cage is better as it has more running room. I would love to have the room in the house to put him in a rabbit hutch like your Scamp!

[kyrilliondaemon]

lol not many have/make the space we do. We have er... insane... personal cage standards and still own nine hamsters. The hutches (both syrians have one each) actually worked out as better for space than the cages they replaced though

Good luck helping your ham settle into whichever cage. Or in both if you can connect tubes to the old cage and let the ham use both of them, might be an option if you'd want to use both.

[ellsbee]

Thank you very much, he's now returning to normal in his old cage, biting the bars, using the top of the wheel as stairs and I saw him take a couple of licks at the water bottle last night . He went for a check up with the vet today and he said he is in really good condition. He recommended putting jonesy in the new cage for half an hour each night and building up his time in there before moving him in completely.
I live in a one bed flat so a rabbit cage would be like adding an extra room to the house lol. Thank you again

[Mona's Humans]

Adding the cages together with tubes seems like a fab idea, then he has his old space for comfort, and the new space, for well, space lol
I just wanted to point out, that whilst a lot of people think chewing the bars is a 'hobby' for hams, it can actually be dangerous for them, and lead to health issues, and you may wish to try and discourage it. if you search bar chewing, or bar biting on the forum, there will be much more information

[kyrilliondaemon]

We're in a one bed flat too

I'm really glad he's doing better now

[ellsbee]

Lol Kyrilliondaemon yours must be bigger than mine! It's pratically a matchbox!
Thanks mona's humans . I did buy him a chew block but he doesn't like it and he doesn't really chew the wooden toys he has. He does chew the string that holds one of his wooden toys together so ut isn't actually held together anymore lol. I know hamsters need to keep their teeth short as they keep growing so aside from him chewing the bars I'm not sure how he can keep his teeth in check. I will definitely check out he info on bar chewing.

[Kissa]

Originally Posted by ellsbee

Lol Kyrilliondaemon yours must be bigger than mine! It's pratically a matchbox!

I'm pretty sure kyrilliondaemon's bedroom is more of a hamster room that just happens to have a bed in it

[kyrilliondaemon]

Originally Posted by Kissa

I'm pretty sure kyrilliondaemon's bedroom is more of a hamster room that just happens to have a bed in it

It is lol
We actually moved the bedroom furniture out of the room a while ago - decided the hamster cages were more important and fortunately are actually happy living this way. Wouldn't advise it, but it works for us

[Kissa]

Originally Posted by kyrilliondaemon

It is lol
We actually moved the bedroom furniture out of the room a while ago - decided the hamster cages were more important and fortunately are actually happy living this way. Wouldn't advise it, but it works for us

Yeah, I think the boyfriend would kill me if I tried this (when we actually get around to living together) In fact, I mentioned Erin and her smaller-than-single bed and room full of cages and he jokingly threatened me with a "it's me or the hamsters" (He wouldn't actually do that, but mainly because I wouldn't make the pair of us sleep in anything smaller than a double after having to do it during first year at uni )