cleaning out..

[KatiePillow]

I cleaned alfie out yesterday, (i've been putting it off, it was his first big clean but I have been spot cleaning, since he's fairly tidy)
(Alfie is blind, and isnt that clever either)

but he didn't react well =/ I kept some of the megazorb from his cage and some of his tissue from his bed, and some of his soiled bedding to attempt to potty train him, but he was obviously so confused =/
He burrowed under his sand bath and curled up there (it's a metal dog bowl, so I removed it)
but he still wouldn't settle down, for hours.. =/

I'm worried that he'll be this confused and scared every time I clean him out =/ and it really upset me.
He is currently in a mini duna, if I were to get him a larger cage, could I clean him out less often? I know that sounds gross =/ and he probably wouldn't appreciate the extra space...I just feel really helpless and don't know how to make him more comfortable =/


Sorry for the multitude of my posts..but yeah >.<
Has anybody experienced a blind hamster? And done anything special during cage cleaning? I put everything back where I found it (although I had to remove the sandbath after he was trying to sleep under it because I thought he would catch a cold as it was cold metal and he had no bedding under there either) but he was still confused and scared =/

[Iluvhamsters]

As he's blind, he obviously relies a lot more on scent than normal hamsters. How much of his used megazorb did you put back in his cage and did you mix it in with the fresh stuff or sprinkle it on top? As it upset him so much, what I would do is give him more of his used megazorb and used bedding (if you've not thrown it out) so that there is more of the familiar scent in his cleaned out cage.

[KatiePillow]

I've already thrown it away, that's part of the problem =/
I sprinkled it on top, so that he got more of it, (I use a deepish layer of substrate so the used stuff would get lost)
His sense of smell doesn't seem that good either though tbh =/ I can have food like just a little away from him and he won't find it, I have to give it to him in his hands.


Next time I clean him out, I might only clean half the substrate or something.. maybe that'd make him feel more comfortable
thanks

[Iluvhamsters]

Originally Posted by KatiePillow

Next time I clean him out, I might only clean half the substrate or something.. maybe that'd make him feel more comfortable
thanks

That's exactly what I was going to suggest and as he gets used to you, his cage and his new routine, you might be able to gradually decrease the amount of old substrate that you put back.

Next time you clean out his cage, what I would do, is mix most of the old substrate with the new then sprinkle the rest of the old on top. I hope all goes well when you clean out his cage the next time

The other thing to try, as well as keeping half his old substrate, is to perhaps clean him out less often but keep spot cleaning.

[fluffymunchkins]

He may get more used to clean outs as time goes on Katie, i can imagine the first time was very stressful for him.
I know in germany they never full cage clean but partial clean, i think maybe if you just took part of his old bedding out at a time he would find it better.
Say after 1 week take part out, then more out the second week.

[KatiePillow]

I might do this...he attacked my hand today, he hasn't bitten since the first day we got him, he was tame as soon as he knew our scents, but he's obviously so shaken up by it he's on edge =/ (I did do what I did to tame him last time, give him food from my hand, but he attacked it >.< )

I may buy him a bigger cage, so it's all on one level, so would be easier to spot clean >.<