New hamster.

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by 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?

I do have carefresh, and megazorb, and there's tissue paper outside the house. and kinda already bought 20kg bag of woodshavings.. so kinda stuck, I can mix different types together, but apart from that.

savic plaza is huge, so it's not cost effective using paper bedding for the entire cage!

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

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.

the ladder fits just now, just cannot open the lid of the house, when the ladder is on. I did try what you did, and putting it under the substrate, even at the very bottom but no cannot open lid with ladder. though base of the shoebox I cut out, I could use that as a ladder, maybe tape it the level, and would fit a little better.

it's one of those shoe lids that is already attached, not the ones you remove completly.

[Pebbles82]

I would put it in like that for now. You won’t need to lift the lid for a few days and can think about replacing the ladder then. If he moves in tonight he’ll need a few days to settle before you check/empty the litter tray anyway. If he doesn’t move in tonight then he’s got attached to the little plastic house so then I’d take it out tomorrow evening and put any clean nest and hoard from it inside the shoebox house. He’ll almost certainly move in. I tend not to use ladders for this reason but find a cork log wedged under the platform makes a good ramp and also makes a tunnel - although the shelf might need to be lowered a bit for that to work. But for now just add the house and see if he moves in . Then in a few days you can think about some adjustments re a ramp. The tube you mentioned could even be tied to the back bars to make a tunnel ramp between the house roof and platform as long as the angle wasn’t too steep.

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

I would put it in like that for now. You won’t need to lift the lid for a few days and can think about replacing the ladder then. If he moves in tonight he’ll need a few days to settle before you check/empty the litter tray anyway. If he doesn’t move in tonight then he’s got attached to the little plastic house so then I’d take it out tomorrow evening and put any clean nest and hoard from it inside the shoebox house. He’ll almost certainly move in. I tend not to use ladders for this reason but find a cork log wedged under the platform makes a good ramp and also makes a tunnel - although the shelf might need to be lowered a bit for that to work. But for now just add the house and see if he moves in . Then in a few days you can think about some adjustments re a ramp. The tube you mentioned could even be tied to the back bars to make a tunnel ramp between the house roof and platform as long as the angle wasn’t too steep.

I will, Can I leave the house pushed down in the substrate? it'a kinda near the bottom of the cage, or should I put it back how I first had it?

[Geo92]

well hes up and not explored the new house yet, still straight on his wheel lol.

[Geo92]

So he's not moved into the shoebox. Not sure if he even went inside it. He's back in his blue plastic house.

[Pebbles82]

Hmm. Yes it's ok pushed down in the substrate as long as there is still some substrate in the bottom and it's not on the bare cage floor (and space inside the house! ie not packed full of substrate) and providing the door is easily findable - eg scoop out a slope down to the door so he can find it easily and put a smelly treat inside the house - eg cucumber. I would give it another night. Is the door easily accessible - ie he doesn't have to awkwardly squeeze behind the ladder or something to get inside?

The blue house is on the shelf isn't it? It looks quite round. I had a similar issue with our first syrian who nested in a little plastic roundish house on the shelf and ignored a small wood house. (I think it wasn't dark enough inside for him). They do like round things! He seemed to be in a quandary about wanting to move to something better but hiding away in the little round house and would sit thinking in the wood house entrance!

In the end the plastic house fell off the shelf as it was too full of bedding so I took it out and he moved straight into the bigger house I'd provided (similar to your shoe box house).

If he hasn't moved tonight, I would take the plastic house out, keep his nest from it and put it inside the new house along with any hoard he has in there. If it's pee'd in then just try and rescue a bit of the nest and a bit of the hoard if you can. If you can't rescue the hoard put a tablespoon of new food inside the shoebox house.

[Pebbles82]

One of our syrians currently has a large labyrinth house with rooms and one room that is darkest - round the corner from the entrance. He also has another nice wood house that is a good size and a round coconut hut. When he moved in he spent ages going between the two houses deciding which one but plumped for the dark room in the large labyrinth house to build his nest - exactly the same as all our previous syrians! However he likes to sit in the round coconut. He gets up, pees in his pee area in the labyrinth house and then goes to sit in the round coconut hut to have a wash. So it's kind of like his garden room! But he has a big cosy nest in the dark inside the bigger house and plenty of space for his hoards.

Your hammy will be happier with the change. He might do it himself tonight if he's tempted into the house. Maybe cut the entrance a little bit higher and put some cucumber inside it tonight before you go to bed.

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

One of our syrians currently has a large labyrinth house with rooms and one room that is darkest - round the corner from the entrance. He also has another nice wood house that is a good size and a round coconut hut. When he moved in he spent ages going between the two houses deciding which one but plumped for the dark room in the large labyrinth house to build his nest - exactly the same as all our previous syrians! However he likes to sit in the round coconut. He gets up, pees in his pee area in the labyrinth house and then goes to sit in the round coconut hut to have a wash. So it's kind of like his garden room! But he has a big cosy nest in the dark inside the bigger house and plenty of space for his hoards.

Your hammy will be happier with the change. He might do it himself tonight if he's tempted into the house. Maybe cut the entrance a little bit higher and put some cucumber inside it tonight before you go to bed.

Hi, I did make a tiny change of the setup, not sure if it's staying like that but I thought I may of been better.


what i did was move the ramp over to next point you can clip it in, put the wheel where the ladder first was, and put the shoebox house next to the wheel, I've noticed alot when he wakes up, he takes his time before he goes to wheel, like get water, and waits, then food then waits, but I noticed he is kinda still nervous of the ramp he will sniff it take his time then bolt like lightning to the wheel.

please tell me if any of the changes is to much or wrong,

I also did where the house is I scooped out the wood shavings and put megazorb down, it's nice and soft and will make it easier for him to borrow. I did sprinkle some wood shavings that was there lightly over the magzorb.

I do hate the salvic plaza ladder it just akes up so much not needed space, please tell me if you consider this an improvement, I also can open the lid fully without needing to remove the ladder, so let me know if the change is to major to do, or is it fine.

yes I did think of getting that house while ago the labyrinth , but got told wood is kinda hard to clean unless protected. with plastikote, picture of of what the setup looks like now.





like I've said, where the shoebox house is, I took out all the woodshavings till the bottom and replaced with megazorb... I do like megazorb actually , and for me it doesn't smell, I know some said it has kinda a smell.. if it does it's not a bad one at all, just wish I gave megazorb a chance.. before I got the hamster.. but don't want to disturb him.. replacing it all just now.. maybe down the line ill leave small amount of woodshavings at the bottom the put completly megazorb, but for now it will do... , I can get megazorb quite locally and they deliver to me for free as well. it's a farm shop that deals with horses etc, and they do deliveries every Tuesday.


also should add my salvic plaza bottle, that I mentioned few days ago leaked, but found out it has to be put on a certain way, and it doesn't! also what should I do with the bedding for the shoebox, you say leave it outside the nest it he will rebuild, but I heard some hamsters don't and prefer, if you put it in.

[Geo92]

so tyson just awoke, and decided to go quickly and give him some apple (first time He has had it) and while he was at his water bottle, I held on to the apple and held it through the bars, and he took!, first time he has took for me.