Tips on changing cage

AlfredHam · 04-03-2016, 12:56 PM

Pay day is tomorrow, so I'm getting Alfie a new cage to be delivered Wednesday/Thursday and I was hoping someone would have some advice on making the transition as unstressful for him as it can possibly be! It's all a bit cramped in there at the moment as I've put a load of things I want him to have in his new cage so his scent is on them when he moves over, but what should I do with his bedding? His hoard? He's chewed the spindle in his comfort wheel to shreds so it needs replacing but should I hold off buying a new one until he's settled?

WinnieTheHam · 04-03-2016, 01:09 PM

I'd put everything he has in his cage at the moment into his new cage, and if possible try do the same layout in the new cage as it is in the old cage. Put the substrate that's in his cage now into the new one, and use his old bedding(nesting material) and put some of his hoard into his sleeping area.

keep his old items until he's settled into his new cage. I'd leave him alone for a day or two so he can settle into his new cage properly.

Pebbles82 · 04-03-2016, 01:10 PM

Hi there. I let our Syrian have a play in his new cage a couple of days before moving him, so it wasn't cold turkey. I put substrate in it and a few toys (some new) but left his old set up the same, and just let him explore it for a bit. He wanted to come out and go back to his old cage. Then he wanted to go back in it again lol.

A couple of days later I moved him over. I popped him in his pet carrier upstairs on the bed so he didn't fret about all the cage clanging. Took all his old substrate from his old cage and put it on top of the new in the new cage (assume the new cage is bigger, so the substrate from the old cage can be a top layer). Then put everything from his old cage in the new one, trying to keep things in the same place they were before. There were also a few new things.

He settled in really well. I think mainly because I moved his house over with all the contents in tact, by sliding a piece of wood under it and lifting it into the new cage that way. That meant his nest, hoards and everything else, stayed as they were, more or less and it still smelled familiar.

The other thing you could do if the new cage is bigger, is just put the whole cage base of the old cage inside the new cage, and fill up the rest of the new cage base with substrate and set it up how you want. Then in 2 or 3 weeks, when you need to clean you could take the old base out - possibly leave it even longer than that.

But the main thing is - don't clean anything when you move him over and move all his old substrate over and his nest if possible. Any hoards you find in the substrate - you could replace in the same place with new food - they'll probably get all chavelled up with moving the substrate.

CMB · 04-03-2016, 01:17 PM

You could buy the new wheel ready to put in once he has settled in a bit. What cage are you getting? It may come with a wheel, but a lot of them are not suitable and need replacing.

You can put some new substrate in the new cage and use the old substrate on top of the new. Don't clean the toys, etc so as much of the hamsters scent is transferred to the new cage. Some people have let their hamsters use the cage for a little each day for a few days before moving them in permanently

AlfredHam · 04-03-2016, 01:29 PM

At the moment he sleeps under his shelf, and his new cage has a shelf, so should I just put his nest and hoard under there? His hoard is in his nest at the moment, I guess he'll move it if he wants to! I wish he had room for a little house in his current cage but with the wheel, sand bath and shelf there's no room

The new cage is a lot bigger, he's nearly stopped bar chewing but I'm hoping the size increase will stop it completely!
I might still order the wheel but keep it for playtime? So that way it'll smell like him when I eventually swap them over

That's a good idea about keeping the old base in his new cage, and letting him have a play in it first

I'm sure he's going to be much happier once the transition is over!

AlfredHam · 04-03-2016, 01:33 PM

I'm thinking of getting the Alaska, I was going for the Barney but the place where his cage goes isn't actually as long as a meter so I can't fit it - old house with funny cubby holes everywhere

I'm still trying to work out if I can rejig something to make it fit somewhere else, I'd love him to have the bigger one!

Pebbles82 · 04-03-2016, 01:42 PM

Tricky isn't it. I rearranged our room to fit an 80cm cage and then found I had space for a 100cm cage and wished I'd got one in the first place as I've now upgraded Charlie to a 100cm one.

On the other hand, having the cage in the same place will be more familiar for your hamster.

If he nests under the shelf I would just try and lift the nest and hoards in tact and pop them in a similar location in the new cage. But if you have room for a house in the new cage you could put the house in the same location as the nest is now and put the nest inside it - he's more likely to nest in the house then. Or if you want him to nest in a particular place, then I've found putting a bendy bridge tunnel over the house door tends to tempt them in there straight away and then they're likely to nest in there because it's nice and dark.

I would just put the new wheel in the cage - and leave the old one in the old cage. Charlie took to his new wheel straight away and didn't seem bothered about not having his old one. The main thing is keeping their familiar scent - hence moving all the substrate over.

If you're going to get him a house, you could even get away with not moving the nest and just putting a bit of his old nest in the house and put lots of white torn up toilet paper out and he'll rebuild it.

If you get the Alaska, and would like to get a house, I'd recommend getting a house with a flat roof and putting it at the end where the shelf is in the Alaska, and using the house roof as a shelf. You can always add a couple of smaller corner shelves at some point.

On the other hand - I found having a good sized house took up too much floor space in an 80cm cage, which is why I'm happier with a 100cm one. There is room for a good sized house, a large wheel and still loads of floor space.

The Alaska is 84cm though - which is almost a couple of inches wider than my 80cm cage and it does make a difference when setting up, so it should be fine.

Rodipet make some great houses. I emailed them recently to ask which houses they would recommend for a large syrian (or any syrian) and they recommended three. There was the large labyrinth one, which I got (but would take up a bit too much space in an Alaska and I'm not sure about it yet either!).

I can't remember the third one, but the second one was this one

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/haeuser/...u-talalin.html

I think it's a great house - it has two rooms - one for a nest and one for a potty, and a middle compartment for hoards. It can also be part buried in the substrate and will fit along the full depth at one end and still leave lots of floor space. And you'd have room for a shelf over it as well if you wanted, but I'd get a couple of corner shelves rather than that big one the Alaska comes with, as it will make access to the house easier.

I sometimes think you need to get the house and wheel to fit the cage.

So with the money you save getting the Alaska instead of the Barney, you could get your hammy a good house and a good wheel.

Something like these two shelves from Ranchhouse cages might be good. So if you had the wheel left back corner, the house at the right side along the full depth of the cage, and two corner shelves front and back right, you'd have a good set up and still loads of floor space for toys and tunnels and so on.

Solid Pine Corner shelf - Small Medium Large from mouse to guinea pig size | eBay

If you do get the house from rodipet, I can recommend getting one of these at the same time

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/zubehoer...a-6-10-cm.html

It's a great tunnel and floor toy, and something to climb over as well. And it's a good size for a Syrian - most of them are massive, but the Rodipet ones are the size they say they are. It works out about £7 uk money. The house costs £19.99 in Uk money and postage is £7 however big or small your parcel is.

CMB · 04-03-2016, 01:45 PM

Hope you can rejig to fit the bigger cage in. The Barney cage is about £15 more than the Alaska.

Pebbles82 · 04-03-2016, 01:56 PM

I thought it was more like £15 more. It does come with a good house and shelf though so then you'd just need a wheel and toys.

AlfredHam · 04-03-2016, 02:19 PM

Ah that's a good idea! I'd prefer him not to have a full length shelf, he currently uses one corner under it as a toilet so to spot clean I have to take the cage apart!