New hamster.

[cypher]

Substrate on the floor is one of the joys of having a hamster I wouldn't worry, most don't make that much of a mess throwing it out of the cage & it's easy enough to clean up, your ham really does need a good depth to burrow & nest in.
I agree that you need to get to know your ham, they all have different habits & cleaning needs or routines.
Poo flying out of the wheel is normal! If you leave it a while you'll probably see that it tends to collect mostly in one area & it's easier to clean up then, poo doesn't need cleaning that often as it's dry & they will eat some too.
I clean my wheels about once a week, you don't really need to do it more often & a wipe down with a damp paper towel is often enough, don't go overboard with cleaners.

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by Ria P

Get to know your hamster and his habits first before you decide when and where you have to clean. Use your nose as a guide and don't worry about details like substrate falling on the floor. Get one of those cheap hand held vacuums to clean it up.
If his house is big enough for an en suite toilet he may well use it to pee instead of his nest. What kind/size of house does he have?
I've started a threat once about my Syrian peeing in his house and an en suite was the answer if i remember right.
He has two toilets though, one inside his house and one outside. During the winter months he has been peeing in the outside toilet because his hoard inside his house is so big and taking up a lot of space.
Don't worry about poops too much as they don't smell and in a big cage with deep substrate it takes a couple of months to even notice them.
It took me by surprise how infrequently a proper hamster cage needs cleaning.

the house he sleeps in is the one that came with the salvic plaza, it's the blue house, it isn't exactly huge I'd consider it small.. but ok for him being so small and young right now.

I do have a wooden house that is bigger,but I've never seen him sleep in it, he has went in it to explore but never stayed. and I did put some kitchen roll down. on that house incase he did stay and pee to protect the wood.

he also has a tuff tunnel I kinda put underground, when he first came, he did sleep in that for a couple days but he's moved to the blue house, the one you seen in the picture..

I've not seen any pee, apart from in his house, what leads to my next question, when he is on the wheel I tend to quickly get the house out to have a quick look, as you said I aint worried about the poo, just the pee, though it doesn't feel very wet there's some pieces of bedding is a tiny bit damp (I know hamsters don't pee very much) so I think it pretty much dried up anyway, smell will stay but it will be dry.

so should should I clean it, or is it ok to leave for awhile, as hamsters don't like renewing there bedding unless it calls for it. his bedding isn't all wet it's only a few pieces, and think it dries up before it causes an issue, but what is the best thing to do?

I do have megazorb I got yesterday so was hoping to incorporate that in some how.

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by cypher

Substrate on the floor is one of the joys of having a hamster I wouldn't worry, most don't make that much of a mess throwing it out of the cage & it's easy enough to clean up, your ham really does need a good depth to burrow & nest in.
I agree that you need to get to know your ham, they all have different habits & cleaning needs or routines.
Poo flying out of the wheel is normal! If you leave it a while you'll probably see that it tends to collect mostly in one area & it's easier to clean up then, poo doesn't need cleaning that often as it's dry & they will eat some too.
I clean my wheels about once a week, you don't really need to do it more often & a wipe down with a damp paper towel is often enough, don't go overboard with cleaners.

I know about needing to dig etc, though right now he doesn't go very deep, don't know if it's because is still small and it's wood shavings , but I got mega zorb bedding yesterday, that was hoping to incorporate some how, my plan was, when I do the next clean what I would call a full clean., was going to do half and half, but now your saying I don't really need to do a full clean, should I take most of it out, but leave some at the bottom then just add the new stuff?


he likes to pee in his bed, what should I do about that? it's only a couple pieces, and probably dries up, but when should I do? just worried about wet tail etc.

[cypher]

That blue plastic house isn't suitable at all really & if they do pee in a plastic house the damp tends to build up quite quickly, I'm surprised he's sleeping up there on the shelf (I think that's the house you mean in the photo?)
What kind of wooden house do you have? One where you can lift the top off is really useful as it allows you to spot clean any pee without having to disturb the nest too much.
If he does pee in the house then it is best to spot clean it, ideally a house should have no base & be on deep substrate & if they do pee in it then it won't build up too quickly.
You could try putting a litter tray close to where he pees & put some peed on substrate in it to encourage him to use it, as Ria said if the house is large enough you can try putting a litter tray in that.
You haven't had him long at all so I really wouldn't do much of a clean for at least a month & even then not a full clean, cleaning is pretty stressful for them so only clean what needs doing not what you think you "should" be doing!
You could take some off the top put a load of megasorb in to fill the base then spread the old substrate you've taken out over the top so it retains his scent.

[Pebbles82]

I would definitely put more substrate in. I don't find it goes all over the floor with that cage! It usually gets pretty compressed down. It is also to help cushion any falls from a height to prevent injuries and it's quite a tall cage. I have that cage too and have the substrate up to about 1cm below the edge and not had any problems. And it's not the end of the world.

The peeing in the nest will be due to the little plastic house. Also they like their toilet area either in or near their house usually so if they have to say go down a ladder to substrate level to use a potty, they'll just do it in the house. Then the house needs cleaning out more often then they pee in it more because their hoard and nest has been cleaned out! To deter you coming in their house.

Try adding a shoebox house at substrate level - open underneath and sat on top of the substrate. Cut the base out so it's open underneath and keep the lid for a lift off roof. Then cut an entrance door at one end of one of the long sides. Put a couple of treats and a smelly treat inside it (eg cucumber). And a big pile of torn up toilet paper strips near the house (but not inside it). You could also put the litter tray inside at the end opposite the door if it's big enough. He'll probably move in overnight and start using the litter tray They like to build a big nest and they like to be in the dark so a big dark house usually makes them move in. If you have a bendy bridge,put that over the entrance - the tunnel entrance tempts them inside and also makes it darker inside.

If he hasn't moved in after the first night then I'd take the plastic house out. He will move in then. But give him the chance to choose to move in first

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by cypher

That blue plastic house isn't suitable at all really & if they do pee in a plastic house the damp tends to build up quite quickly, I'm surprised he's sleeping up there on the shelf (I think that's the house you mean in the photo?)
What kind of wooden house do you have? One where you can lift the top off is really useful as it allows you to spot clean any pee without having to disturb the nest too much.
If he does pee in the house then it is best to spot clean it, ideally a house should have no base & be on deep substrate & if they do pee in it then it won't build up too quickly.
You could try putting a litter tray close to where he pees & put some peed on substrate in it to encourage him to use it, as Ria said if the house is large enough you can try putting a litter tray in that.
You haven't had him long at all so I really wouldn't do much of a clean for at least a month & even then not a full clean, cleaning is pretty stressful for them so only clean what needs doing not what you think you "should" be doing!
You could take some off the top put a load of megasorb in to fill the base then spread the old substrate you've taken out over the top so it retains his scent.

wooden house I have doesn't do that it's just a wooden house they enter and that's it, but like I said he has never slept in it, I have been checking the house every day, and it's normally a couple pieces of bedding, ill see if I can get get something more suitable, ill try put the potty next to his house, see if that helps with anything. but again he is only like 8 weeks old, so still a baby.

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

I would definitely put more substrate in. I don't find it goes all over the floor with that cage! It usually gets pretty compressed down. It is also to help cushion any falls from a height to prevent injuries and it's quite a tall cage. I have that cage too and have the substrate up to about 1cm below the edge and not had any problems. And it's not the end of the world.

The peeing in the nest will be due to the little plastic house. Also they like their toilet area either in or near their house usually so if they have to say go down a ladder to substrate level to use a potty, they'll just do it in the house. Then the house needs cleaning out more often then they pee in it more because their hoard and nest has been cleaned out! To deter you coming in their house.

Try adding a shoebox house at substrate level - open underneath and sat on top of the substrate. Cut the base out so it's open underneath and keep the lid for a lift off roof. Then cut an entrance door at one end of one of the long sides. Put a couple of treats and a smelly treat inside it (eg cucumber). And a big pile of torn up toilet paper strips near the house (but not inside it). You could also put the litter tray inside at the end opposite the door if it's big enough. He'll probably move in overnight and start using the litter tray They like to build a big nest and they like to be in the dark so a big dark house usually makes them move in. If you have a bendy bridge,put that over the entrance - the tunnel entrance tempts them inside and also makes it darker inside.

If he hasn't moved in after the first night then I'd take the plastic house out. He will move in then. But give him the chance to choose to move in first

the issue with the substrate is, when I was first filling it, I was thinking of putting way more in, the photo doesn't show it, it has quite alot in, not at the top , but it has alot.

issue is, he isn't fully settled in yet, he improves daily and gets better every day, but he is barely 1 month old, just over it .. and I have not even picked him up or even touched him yet, just wanted him to settle him in without a big human hand scaring him, some hamsters take longer than others, and doesn't help he is very young, so I think i'd have a hard time adding substrate in without disturbing him. when he is in the cage.


but don't get me wrong, it's something I want todo, don't have a shoebox and not sure where I'd put it either, i'd have remove something probaby.

[Geo92]

I took your advice, and found a shoe box, cut out the base, and door, not the best of my skills but here you go.

I did put the potty inside too how does this look? I took the wooden house out and replaced it






only issue is I have to remove to ladder before I can open the lid.. the ladder that comes with the plaza is kinda big, I do know he can climb up there without and as he has done it before, also where the box is now, there was a tuff tunnel that he did sleep in for like 2 days when he first arrived, after that it's been the plastic house, so I took out the tunnel as well

so either keep it how it is, or find a different place for thebox, or remove the ladder... or maybe I can use the tuff tunnel some how.

[Ria P]

He needs more nesting material to build a big cozy nest like more torn up strips of toilet paper. I would use Kaytee clean and cozy paper based substrate instead of wood chips or at least in the part of the cage where his house is. I know that he is still settling in and you don't want to introduce too many changes but you want him to be comfortable.

Have you checked out the thread "Let's see your cages" on the Forum under Housing?

[Pebbles82]

Looks good! I think I’d leave the ladder in for now - if you move the house further left to the left side will the ladder still fit? It would be better if you could leave the ladder in for now. I know it’s quite long and restricts what you can put in so at some point you could think about an alternative but probably best not to change too much at once.

If you push the house down into the substrate a bit will the ladder fit over it and still allow for the roof to come off? It’s then a part subterranean house. You can just channel out a bit of substrate in front of the entrance. I bet he’d move into that.