Winter White squeaking - and refusing to use the wooden wheel...

[MyNameIsCookie]

are these phenomenons linked?

She's in a Detolf and since cleaning it out, she's started squeaking like a mouse - very odd!

Also, I want the tank to be natural; it has rocks, sand, aspen and wooden toys/logs/house etc. She used a flying saucer wheel constantly, however decided it tastes as good as it is fun to run on, so I changed to a (larger) wooden wheel. She hasn't even stepped foot on the wheel; she climbs up the back of it and uses it to escape the tank! (twice I found her under the sofa!)

Anyway, there's a lid on the tank now(!) and she still doesn't use the wheel...?

I just put the saucer back and she's on it, immediately... isn't that strange!

[Sm_banks]

Maybe she does not like the feeling of the wheel. Did you varnish the wood because that could be a problem as some hamsters have the wonderful habit of peeing in their wheel that wood unvarnished would absorb it and up the amount of ammonia in the cage which is not good.

[MyNameIsCookie]

it's not varnished, but she's not peed in it - she literally hasn't been IN the wheel bit at all! She honestly only uses it as a climbing frame, sits on the top and escapes (well, now she tries to use the lid as a trapeze!)

[Coldpaws]

Hi, not sure how long you've had your WW. If this is the first time she's squeaked then my guess is that she could be feeling a bit out of place after the cage clean? She might be a bit annoyed/scared that things have moved around/smell different etc. & is letting you know. Our Russian Campbell squeaks all the time, she squeaks to say hello, when she wants food, when excited, when scared. I swear she thinks she is talking to you! She is the most vocal hammy I've ever known.
On the other hand, it might be nothing to do with the change in environment, she may be in pain & the timing has coincided with the cage clean. Have you checked her for injuries or anything unusual?

As for the wheel, I'm assuming the wooden wheel is an upright wheel, i.e. vertical type on a stand? Has she used one of those before? If she's only been on a flat flying saucer wheel, maybe she hasn't got used to the new type? Does it make a noise?

[cypher]

The squeaking may just have been a reaction to the cleaning, did you clean the whole tank & remove all the substrate etc? That can really stress them out, best just to spot clean & do partial cleans when needed always replacing some of the substrate, nest & food hoard to reduce stress.
Putting the new wheel in after a clean probably wasn't the best timing, it might be worth trying again once she had time to settle but it may just be that she really loves her flying saucer & if that's the case I would leave her with that.
If you put the wheel back in try putting some food or treats in it to entice her into it, she might just give it a go then.

[MyNameIsCookie]

Thanks everyone. The cage clean was a whole clean... It really needed it!

The wheel has been in there for ages but she's not shown interest at all... I put the saucer back in and she's been straight on it, running miles and the noises have stopped. I think she was just disgruntled!

[cypher]

Sounds like she was! I'd go easy on the cleaning & if she's happy with her saucer let her keep it!

[CMB]

If you have the space leave the flying saucer and wheel in the cage. Your hamster may learn to use both.

Place a treat it the wheel just to encourage her in it.