Bailey soiling his bed.

LancashireLass · 02-01-2016, 11:59 PM

Hi I have had Bailey since mid September and it's safe to say he can be one laid back lazy little man. But I am slightly horrified that he is so laid back that he urinates in his bed. I have done nothing different with my other Hams and he is housed in an Alaska Cage but unlike the other hams who have used there sandbath he is quite content in using his bed as his toilet. His sleep hut is a fancy wooden house which I bought from Hop Nibble and Squeek which is slowly being damaged beyond repair. Does anyone have any ideas on how to train Bailey to use an alternative part of his cage.

Thank you

LL xxxxxx

cypher · 02-02-2016, 12:30 AM

Can you put some kind of litter tray close by the house so the lazy boy doesn't have far to go for a pee?! If you can & put some soiled nest material on top of the sand he might get the idea, the only other option really is to get a house big enough to put a litter tray inside.

LancashireLass · 02-02-2016, 06:35 AM

Thank you xxx a re jig of his home will be on the cards.

Ll

souffle · 02-02-2016, 08:20 AM

I would say it is the wooden house that is causing the issue. Babies often wee in their beds and the problem with wood is that it absorbs the wee and gets the smell in to it so they think that is their toilet and keep going in there.
It is practically impossible to clean it out wood. We never use wood for this very reason!
I think you could take it out and instead use an alternative house that is easy to clean for a while and see if he wees in that. Maybe even a cardboard box that you can throw out? Try and introduce the potty at this time. Once he is established in weeing in a more appropriate place and the bed appears dry and clean then you can try the wooden house back again as see what happens. Give it a good long airing out in a shed or garage while he is trying a new bed! The chillier the better! Even out in the sun on good days.

CMB · 02-02-2016, 08:27 AM

Put a potty in the chosen were area and move the house.

Coldpaws · 02-02-2016, 09:22 AM

Oh dear, naughty Bailey! I agree with Souffle on this, wooden houses are a nightmare! Maybe switch to a plastic house that can be easily cleaned, or a ceramic one. Also as cypher suggested, put some wee'd (not sure that's word? soiled/urinated on i mean!) on nesting inside the sandbath/litter tray if you haven't tried that.

Is Bailey a Syrian? My male Syrian also was happy weeing in his bed until I swapped his 'cave' house with a smaller plastic house & put some of his smelly bedding in the litter tray. I also rubbed his wee soaked bedding on the outside of his litter tray. That did the trick, although I haven't given him back his bigger house as I'm worried he might go back to weeing in it! I guess I'll just have to see.

Our female Syrians started using their litter trays as soon as they had them. Maybe it's a male thing? Our dwarf hammies have all used their sandbaths to do their business. Our Syrians have never really liked sandbaths, whereas the dwarves all love em. Good luck potty training Bailey anyway!

LancashireLass · 02-03-2016, 12:15 AM

Hi yes Bailey is a Syrian and probably the first Syrian I have had that just so laid back and dare a say lazy, some nights we will be lucky to see him as on one weekend he didn't emerge from his bed for Bailey playtime till 2am, yes we were still up and gladly obliged. I am definately going to look into a new house for him and try the bedding trick, but to prevent any upset will wait till we get back from holiday, my parents are Bailey watching next week, my partner and I are off for a little winter sun.
LL