A question on houses

[Aimeeeee]

I'm wondering what people's preferences are towards hammy houses - big, small, don't have them at all?

I only ask because at the moment my by has one of the HUGE ones from p@h and it takes up a LOT of cage space, which is usually fine but he is now in need of a wheel upgrade (11 inches).

So what I'm wondering is do I keep the big house and he loses some floor space, or do I remove the house and hope he uses his other hidey places (bendy wood sticks, DIY coconut hidey) as a nesting place instead?

I'm hoping for some advice because at he moment I can't face taking away his big house (I'd feel like a was taking away a mansion and replacing it with a tent) so I'm kind of hoping to know what everyone else's hammys live in, and if I should feel guilty or if he won't really care?

Thanks a bunch guys 😊

[NiceCrocs]

My hamster prefers to make an open nest in her bedding, despite the four different shelters in her tank. Of course her favorite spot to build her nest in behind her wheel, so that I have to clear out the extra bedding every day so she can actually use the wheel. I think she does it to spite me. But I leave the four shelters in because she does sit in them to groom or have a snack, and seems to enjoy having them.

If your hamster seems happy with the house, I would probably leave it there. And there should always be at least one house of some kind, so the option is always available to your hammy

[ianpallen]

Houses made from butter tubs or just make a wooden box with a door and a window in it would be good enough. If you look through my posts, there is a waterwheel house I built from a kit. Screech loves it and spends most days in there .Sometimes she will have a change but always go back to the waterwheel house.

[Denisekay]

Hamphrey has just one house, it's just a simple wooden little hidey house. He's not a burrower by all means so I try to give him some variety of sleeping places but he really only likes his hut. XD Puff isn't a burrower or a hider but he still has a simple little plastic hidey just in case. He generally sleeps out in the open though.

[DrKMcK]

My Almond has a bendy bridge, a coconut, and an IKEA Knuff house. He uses all of them and will also just sleep in the open under the bedding. As long as your hammy has some hidey holes, the big house isn't absolutely necessary.

[Aimeeeee]

Thank you for your replies in that case I may just get him a smaller house :P those plus his hidey holes may be enough for him