My hamster keeps sleeping in her tunnel!

emjellis1991 · 09-28-2015, 03:31 AM

I recently adopted a hamster. I have had her 3 days now she is around a year old and is a Syrian hamster. I bought her a large cage with a tunnel that goes round the back. She seems to store her food and bedding and then go to the tunnel and put it all there. She then sleeps in the tunnel daily. I know there are ventilation holes in the tunes but it doesn't seem healthy for her to be in there. I took the tube off and she wasn't happy she would run round in circles hurrying herself under her sawdust and would chew things and naw on the cage bars so I put the tube back on Just want some advice on if she will be ok sleeping in there or if I should take the tube off for ever. I have attached a picture of the cage and she is currently sleeping in the tunnel

Thin Lizzy · 09-28-2015, 08:51 PM

Hi emjellis, good on you for adopting.
It's only been 3 days that you've had her.
Going in the tunnel, hoarding and sleeping is her way of feeling safe, she might feel nervous about sleeping out in her cage, by using the tunnel she'll feel safe as the tunnel isn't big and she won't get disturbed. I'd leave it for a while yet, provide extra substrate and bedding and a house for her to use. Hamsters like to be able to squeeze into places and have plenty of hidey holes.
Once you've got a house for her, a large tissue box or shoe box will give her security and fun as she can chew at the cardboard. Also try the tissue trick, stuff some toilet paper up your sleeved and leave for a couple of hours then put in her cage, this way she can get use to your smell.

cypher · 09-28-2015, 10:25 PM

Hi & welcome to the forum.
As Lizzy says your ham probably is going into the tube because she feels safe in there but it really isn't healthy for them to sleep in tubes (especially if they decide to pee in them too!). I would remove it before it becomes too much of a habit, she will get a bit upset but don't worry, she will run around looking for it & burying herself in the substrate is perfectly normal ham behaviour!
If you put as much substrate in the base of the cage as you can, at least up to shelf level then put a cardboard box with an entrance cut in or a nice wooden house on top of that & give her lots of nesting material including what you can save from the tube (toilet tissue torn up is best) she'll soon settle down & make a new nest.

emjellis1991 · 09-29-2015, 03:33 AM

Thank you for your replies! I removed the tune yesterday and she no longer sleeps in it now after putting it back on late last night. I would normally wake up and find all her bedding and food hidden in the tube but this morning she was asleep in the little strawberry plastic home I bought her. She has got some chew toys hanging in the cage, a strawberry house to sleep in, some toilet roll tubes, a tissue and her food and water. Today I will carry a tissue on me and then put it in her cage later today so she gets used to my scent. I tried to put my arm in for her to sniff but she nibbled me twice so I don't think she is quite ready just yet. She has also started a really irritating hobby. She naws on the cage bars for ages it's just one spot she does it in, you can see where she has taken all the black off the bars and they are now silver. I tried lemon juice as people were saying that works but it has done nothing. I don't want to get her a plastic cage as the ventilation isn't as good and she will probably chew it to bits haha. Hopefully she will settle in soon.

cypher · 09-29-2015, 06:35 AM

Those little plastic houses do look nice but they aren't all that suitable, the ventilation still isn't great & they're usually too small. I'd look for a wooden house or just use a box, they really are quite happy in a cardboard box!
If you take the tubes off I'd leave them off for good or at least for some time, if you keep changing things she'll get confused & upset so best only to make changes when really necessary & then leave her to settle in properly.
The tissue trick should really help her get used to you & speed up the taming process.
You really need to try to put a stop to the bar chewing if you can, threading a piece of card through the bars in the spot where she does it may help.
They do it for various reasons so it's best to try & figure out why (not always the easiest thing I know) sometimes it's attention seeking, it can be because the cage is too small or a lack of enrichment or it could just be she's a bit upset by changes, give her time & she may well settle down & stop but just in case there are some good ideas for bar chewing here.
Managing Bar Chewers

Jeir · 09-29-2015, 07:11 AM

I'd say the reason for the bar chewing is the small size of the cage, and the lack of a wheel. Emjellis, is the cage at least 70x45x30 (LxWxH)? If you got it from Pets at Home, then you most likely bought a small cage that is only really suitable as a travel or emergency/'sick bed' cage, I'm afraid. It's only been the last few months that I've seen my local store sell cages that meet or go above the RSPCA minimum (the above size), which is a Savic Hamster Heaven/Sky Metro, which I think they sell for £65-70.

If the cage you have her in is indeed one of the small cages P@H sells (they advertise them as medium/large, when they're anything but =/ sadly there are no laws about cage sizes, so they can get away with it) I would really recommend you try to get her a larger cage, and to provide a wheel that's at least 28cm/11inches in diametre. If money is an issue, there are many good sized cages you can order online, such as the Alaska, Barney and Alexander, which are all for around £30. If space isn't an issue, and you don't mind a bit of DIY, you can also look at an IKEA Detolf. There are also tank-style plastic cages, like the ZooZone2 or Ferplast Maxi Duna Multy, although the former will need the bars meshed.

Thin Lizzy · 09-29-2015, 09:00 PM

Some of the plastic houses don't have great ventilation, I found the igloo had slits round it giving air, Archie loved his igloo, he also had a wooden house but he always preferred the igloo.
So you removed the tube and put it back in? Well at least she hasn't gone back to it but if she does then it would be best to remove it permanently.
My hams have chewed the bars at some point and I found putting a toilet roll tube through the bars helps stop it. Also, whenever mine chewed I'd ignore it, hams hate being ignored and I found doing this also got them to stop.
Some of the best fun comes from cardboard boxes, a large tissue box it shoe box would make a good hidey hole.