Out of Character Burrowing

[Beckzfizz]

My lovely ham has started burrowing right to the bottom of her cage, she has a Duna, so I tend to fill the entire bottom with sawdust (a habit from owning a Degu), but it's never seemed to bother her, until this week. I've noticed that instead of sleeping in her house as usual, Portia has started burrowing right to the bottom of the cage, underneath the flying saucer base and sleeping there. I only noticed this because I panicked when I couldn't find her and went on a hunt around the cage. I mentioned this to my mum, who told me that she had seen her burrowing underneath her wooden play house, despite this being on the solid upper level, she had been intent on getting under it and staying there...

Is something wrong? She's over a year old now, so she's getting on a bit, perhaps a hamster midlife crisis? Help!

[Skeever]

Change of seasons? Temperatures? People in my part of the world often go to the beach and have friends cover them in sand under the burning sun. I'm not sure why. I heard why once and forgot. Something about heat. Or the lack thereof. Maybe it's getting too warm and there is actually some logic about being buried under stuff?

Midlife crises are rough! Could be the hammie is going through an isolationist phase. Not like I don't totally do that myself , in my way

[NiceCrocs]

Maybe she's just discovered that tunneling is fun? My hamster tunnels relentlessly xP

And like Skeever says, they might be trying to beat the heat by resting in fluffed up bedding instead of a house.

Keep an eye on her other behaviors though, like eating and drinking, and check her breathing every now and then and make sure it's normal (I only say that because if her regular house has filled with some bad smells, like urine or dust or whatnot, it may have upset her respiratory system. Unlikely, but it's good to cover all bases just in case)

[Esmy]

Penny recently started making big mounds of bedding. She's definitely not pregnant, so I'm chalking it up to her trying something new.

[Skeever]

I've been known to heap a bit o' extra litter just to see the critter burrow! No such luck. But yeah, hamsters love to burrow and tunnel, so.......