Changing hamsters cage behaviour change

[Cherryhammie]

Hi I recently changed my hamsters cage and her behaviour has changed a bit and I'm a bit confused and worried.

Before I had her in two metal bar cages and she was happy as can be waking up at 5pm ready to interact and be played with! I recently built a diy cage which is quite large around 90cm length by 50cm width.

When changing her over I added her old bedding plus new so it would smell like her and at first she seemed to be over the moon! But the past few days she hasn't been waking up Untill 11pm which is so in like her and she doesn't seem to want to interact with me as much and will come out and sniff around and eat and after 5/10 mins I will come over and try interact with her and after 5 mins she wonders off to her bed and goes to sleep again and will come out again in like an hour or so ... Very unlike her!

I have no Idea what is going on, will she grow out of this once she's comfy or does she simply not like the set up? (She has a fair amount of toys so it's not bare) she's still eating and drinking no signs of wet tail just seems very lazy all of a sudden can someone help 😩
Thanks in advance
Abbie

[Pebbles82]

I think it sounds like it's just adjustment time needed. It can take two weeks for them to start feeling properly at home in a new cage and then their behaviour usually gets more perky again I've just moved our Syrian to a bigger cage and he's also behaving a bit differently. He looks a bit disorientated actually. He's fine in himself but not so perky, so I think it's a fairly normal reaction until they've got themselves a routine in the new cage. Last time our hamster had a cage change was when we'd only had him 3 weeks. It was awful for the first 10 days - he acted scared and shaky. Then by day 10 he was suddenly having fun, climbing bars and looking happy and active again.

[Bertiebobbins]

I agree, it takes time for them to settle in to a new environment. When mine moved cages one went a bit feral (hadn't had him long anyway) but settled down in a week or so, and the other surprisingly was absolutely fine even though he really doesn't like change at all.,

[Cherryhammie]

Thanks you two i will just let her settle in now and see how she goes over the next two weeks