Chumlee 🐹

It looks amazing! I love the cosy corner with the grass mat and he has nice tunnels and his coconut hide.

I would add some kind of shelf or platform on the right hand side :-) Which might mean moving the wheel further along to the left a bit. If it's a corner shelf, the back corner would be better in my opinion so you can see him - but the front corner is an option too! If you want to leave the wheel where it is. Or a straight platform or shelf across the right hand end. This gives him more overhead cover and somewhere else to go. They often like sitting under a platform to have a wash (being prey they like something overhead sometimes). Although oddly they have no qualms about sitting on a shelf either! Maybe because it's higher up and less overhead space above them.

A shelf or platform is also a good place to put heavier, ceramic items so they don't sink in the substrate.

I'd also suggest adding a large cork log somewhere in the middle. This also gives overhead cover as it's a big tunnel to run through and also something to climb over that isn't too high for climbing. And it's another interesting texture.

I sometimes use a cork log in the middle, with one end slightly going under a platform as then it makes a kind of ramp up to the platform as well as a nice big tunnel!

This place sells good cork logs and you can choose the one you want from the photos - eg the shape or size you want :-)

He is probably nesting under the house and may emerge from one of the doors at some point! I gave one of my hamsters a new ceramic hide in the playpen recently, which has an entrance at two sides, and he just used it as a tunnel! Went straight in one entrance and out the other side - he didn't see it as a hide at all - because it had two entrances/exits.

He is a lucky boy and he's going to love that cage! Yes I think the first couple of days is just exploring every inch of the cage, and after that they don't bother with bar climbing. At the moment he might just feel a little overwhelmed by the extra space, so plenty of places to hide will encourage him to be out and about more.

I also do a sneaky thing, by having his veg on a separate dish - at the opposite end of the cage to the house :-) On a platform usually. So it encourages them to come out to get the veg.

Cork caves and hides are perfect for decoration, hiding and nesting

Cork Caves / Hides. Caves and hides are perfect for decoration, hiding and nesting. The Cork Shed UK. Full Worldwide Delivery on all cork products.
www.thecorkshed.co.uk www.thecorkshed.co.uk
 
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Maz said:
It looks amazing! I love the cosy corner with the grass mat and he has nice tunnels and his coconut hide.

I would add some kind of shelf or platform on the right hand side :-) Which might mean moving the wheel further along to the left a bit. If it's a corner shelf, the back corner would be better in my opinion so you can see him - but the front corner is an option too! If you want to leave the wheel where it is. Or a straight platform or shelf across the right hand end. This gives him more overhead cover and somewhere else to go. They often like sitting under a platform to have a wash (being prey they like something overhead sometimes). Although oddly they have no qualms about sitting on a shelf either! Maybe because it's higher up and less overhead space above them.

A shelf or platform is also a good place to put heavier, ceramic items so they don't sink in the substrate.

I'd also suggest adding a large cork log somewhere in the middle. This also gives overhead cover as it's a big tunnel to run through and also something to climb over that isn't too high for climbing. And it's another interesting texture.

I sometimes use a cork log in the middle, with one end slightly going under a platform as then it makes a kind of ramp up to the platform as well as a nice big tunnel!

This place sells good cork logs and you can choose the one you want from the photos - eg the shape or size you want :-)

He is probably nesting under the house and may emerge from one of the doors at some point! I gave one of my hamsters a new ceramic hide in the playpen recently, which has an entrance at two sides, and he just used it as a tunnel! Went straight in one entrance and out the other side - he didn't see it as a hide at all - because it had two entrances/exits.

He is a lucky boy and he's going to love that cage! Yes I think the first couple of days is just exploring every inch of the cage, and after that they don't bother with bar climbing. At the moment he might just feel a little overwhelmed by the extra space, so plenty of places to hide will encourage him to be out and about more.

I also do a sneaky thing, by having his veg on a separate dish - at the opposite end of the cage to the house :-) On a platform usually. So it encourages them to come out to get the veg.

Cork caves and hides are perfect for decoration, hiding and nesting

Cork Caves / Hides. Caves and hides are perfect for decoration, hiding and nesting. The Cork Shed UK. Full Worldwide Delivery on all cork products.
www.thecorkshed.co.uk www.thecorkshed.co.uk
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Thanks Maz! Strangely I was actually looking at cork logs!! And will look at a small platform. He doesnt seem phased by stuff at the front he likes showing off haha. Just didmt want to encourage him to climb too much yet!

We put the grass mat there as that corner was so dark in his previous cage, thought he'd find it odd.
 
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Yes it can take a good few days for them to feel at home - up to two weeks sometimes. But he'll soon be confident in there :-)
 
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Chum says hello and thanks everyone for the advice!

So much digging, we feel so happy he has more room to do so now! He's seemingly sealed off the back entrance he made yesterday and pulled more bedding I left out into his house so I'm HOPING he's in there.. will see tonight haha.
 
Just heard a nibbling noise and realized - last night he's buried under his wheel and is under there!!! (where he's pictured in photo above). Was sure he'd gone into the new house. He just doesnt seem to see it as a nest?? He pulled a load of bedding into the new house, just doesnt seem to want to sleep in it??
 
He is so sweet! It could take him a few days to decide where to nest and he's working things out maybe. Perhaps he's using the house as "porch" for a larger underground house!
 
Maz said:
He is so sweet! It could take him a few days to decide where to nest and he's working things out maybe. Perhaps he's using the house as "porch" for a larger underground house!
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Just had a quick look in the house (as I know he's not in there!) - looks quite pristine. I also left a few dry treats in there.. he has pulled all the bedding in, into both back rooms... he's just choosing to sleep in a hole on the opposite side of the cage instead!!

Hopefully he uses it soon...

If anyone has some tips for encouraging him send them my way haha
 
I would give him a few days to decide and keep putting a trail of treats (eg sunflower seeds) up to the entrance and inside the house. And something smelly inside (cucumber or a bit of cheddar cheese) plus a handful of hamster mix.

The other thing you could try is covering the top hole with something - maybe a ceramic hide or food bowl? That way it will be darker inside. My theory is that they nest in the darkest place in the house. If there is no top hole he would probably nest in that room as it's further away from the door.

With the larger houses, mine have always ignored the side with the top hole and nested in the other side, where it's darker.

I did find the same thing with Tino (one of my syrians) when I upgraded him to a bigger cage with deep bedding. He ignored the house (even though he had used an almost identical one before) and slept at the bottom of the cage at the other end of the cage - quite near the wheel. Once he had a bit less bedding he moved into the house! Some people think it's more natural for them to dig their own burrows in the bedding, but I think it depends on the Hamster. With Tino it was just a big mess! It wasn't a burrow or a tunnel it was just a big mess of food and wee!

He is now happily living in his house!
 
Maz said:
I would give him a few days to decide and keep putting a trail of treats (eg sunflower seeds) up to the entrance and inside the house. And something smelly inside (cucumber or a bit of cheddar cheese) plus a handful of hamster mix.

The other thing you could try is covering the top hole with something - maybe a ceramic hide or food bowl? That way it will be darker inside. My theory is that they nest in the darkest place in the house. If there is no top hole he would probably nest in that room as it's further away from the door.

With the larger houses, mine have always ignored the side with the top hole and nested in the other side, where it's darker.

I did find the same thing with Tino (one of my syrians) when I upgraded him to a bigger cage with deep bedding. He ignored the house (even though he had used an almost identical one before) and slept at the bottom of the cage at the other end of the cage - quite near the wheel. Once he had a bit less bedding he moved into the house! Some people think it's more natural for them to dig their own burrows in the bedding, but I think it depends on the Hamster. With Tino it was just a big mess! It wasn't a burrow or a tunnel it was just a big mess of food and wee!

He is now happily living in his house!
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That's kind of what I'm worried about random wee and stash piles I dont know are there!!

I could turn the lid over?? So the hole is over the entrance if you see what I mean?? (it just flips?)
 
Yes that's one option! I think it would be easy enough to spot clean if he is sleeping under the substrate, and in fact that might make him decide to move to the house too if he doesn't like that his hoard and sleeping place have been ransacked! I wouldn't do anything for the next week though. It's a bit soon to spot clean when he's just moved. You could try the trail of treats, cucumber, food and reversed lid!

I just decided with Tino that 10" of bedding didn't work. Not for me. I know the view is that it's better for the hamster but it depends - I didn't see Tino for weeks and weeks! Now he really enjoys coming out and running around and I think human interaction is important too. There are varying views but we don't get a hamster to live in a cage really all the time. however big it is. And my view is they really benefit from a bond and relationship with their human owner.

Now our previous Syrian would have loved 10" of bedding and burrowing - he had 8" but made it deeper himself at one end so it was about 10" - and he still wanted to come out every night. Totally different personality.
 
Maz said:
Yes that's one option! I think it would be easy enough to spot clean if he is sleeping under the substrate, and in fact that might make him decide to move to the house too if he doesn't like that his hoard and sleeping place have been ransacked! I wouldn't do anything for the next week though. It's a bit soon to spot clean when he's just moved. You could try the trail of treats, cucumber, food and reversed lid!

I just decided with Tino that 10" of bedding didn't work. Not for me. I know the view is that it's better for the hamster but it depends - I didn't see Tino for weeks and weeks! Now he really enjoys coming out and running around and I think human interaction is important too. There are varying views but we don't get a hamster to live in a cage really all the time. however big it is. And my view is they really benefit from a bond and relationship with their human owner.

Now our previous Syrian would have loved 10" of bedding and burrowing - he had 8" but made it deeper himself at one end so it was about 10" - and he still wanted to come out every night. Totally different personality.
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Ok I am going to reverse the lida and put more treats in now, as I know hes asleep in the other corner.

We're lucky in that he does come out and play all night. Just wish he'd go to bed where he's told haha! I guess burrowing so much is new for him...
 
I made the mistake once of having two good sized houses in the cage :-) A large multiroom house (which all my hamsters used to move straight into) and another house as an extra hide. That particular hamster couldn't decide where to nest/sleep for over a week - he kept going inside both of them and you could see him thinking and the indecision! He did eventually settle on the multiroom house. But after that I only put one house in!

So it's still early days and he might be still working out the space in the cage and deciding things :-) It's good he still comes out and sees you.
 
Aw that sounds great :-) So it'll be easy to have out of cage time and some socialising/taming then :-) I'd still wait two weeks before getting him out after the cage change. Unless he shows he really really wants to come out!
 
Maz said:
Yes that's one option! I think it would be easy enough to spot clean if he is sleeping under the substrate, and in fact that might make him decide to move to the house too if he doesn't like that his hoard and sleeping place have been ransacked! I wouldn't do anything for the next week though. It's a bit soon to spot clean when he's just moved. You could try the trail of treats, cucumber, food and reversed lid!

I just decided with Tino that 10" of bedding didn't work. Not for me. I know the view is that it's better for the hamster but it depends - I didn't see Tino for weeks and weeks! Now he really enjoys coming out and running around and I think human interaction is important too. There are varying views but we don't get a hamster to live in a cage really all the time. however big it is. And my view is they really benefit from a bond and relationship with their human owner.

Now our previous Syrian would have loved 10" of bedding and burrowing - he had 8" but made it deeper himself at one end so it was about 10" - and he still wanted to come out every night. Totally different personality.
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Yes, they are very social with people ❤️
 
Last nights chosen sleeping place.... (spot the hole haha)

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he's getting nearer to the new nest at least....
 
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