Hello from Woody in the UK

[jkn]

Hi there - I have just joined this forum on behalf of hamster 'Woody', a male Russian Dwarf Hamster (I think that it right ... badger-type black and white markings?) living in the south of the UK. Woody actually belongs to our granddaughter; but our family has had a few hamsters when I was growing up and as I am relatively familiar with them have ended up being the one doing most of the 'work' in getting Woody used to people, making toys for his cage etc.

I will try to post a picture, but am I partly joining this forum to ask a question, and here might be as good a place as any. Woody is about six months old and has settled well. But we have noticed some different behaviour over the past few days. His cage is one of the Savik 'Hamster Heaven' cages with a 'penthouse' at the top. He normally sleeps in either a 'coconut house', or under a pile of straw etc. in the bottom of the cage. As well as straw we put in sawdust and some strips of kitchen roll. Recently however he has started to build a bit of a nest in the penthouse, using the kitchen paper strips. He also seems to be staying awake during the day more than he used to. He seems perhaps a little more 'agitated' than normal, but this is hard to distinguish from his normal activity.

FWIW I feed him on a mixture of small pellets, and the 'hamster mix' he was having where we bought him. I give him tiny bits of walnut as a treat; he also likes asparagus(!)

My current assumption is that this change in behaviour is not something to worry about, and is perhaps related either to the longer & warmer days, or to him thinking about mating! He seems well otherwise - eyes bright, he is running on his spinner and up & down the various ladders and tubes available to him, etc.

Any thoughts welcome
Thanks, J^n

 

[Socks' Mum]

Welcome to the forum. It could be the changing Spring temperatures which have encouraged him to change the location of his nest. The pine woodshavings are popular, but paper bedding is better as it doesn't release phenols, which are mildly poisonous. It's better to use something like Kaytee Clean and Cosy, Fitch, Carefresh or Nightangel paper bedding. He already likes the strips of paper towels, which is a good start. He seems active and healthy. If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to consult a vet. Choosing a suitable vet can be tricky as not all vets have enough experience with hamsters. If you don't have a vet yet, it's good to phone a few surgeries to find out if they are experienced with hamsters. Medications commonly used for dogs and cats can affect rodents very differently. Some fresh food is good and a tiny bit of cooked veg is also healthy for your ham as long as it's not high in sugar.

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome It would be lovely to see a photo of Woody That is a very common issue with that cage with the penthouse and the vast majority of people used to remove the penthouse and tubes so the hamster develops normal behaviours (digging, nesting, foraging) instead of getting confused trying to nest in plastic tubes etc, which turns into a stinky mess and then they get upset at being cleaned out too much.

I say "used to" because there have been a lot of changes in the world of hamster keeping and guidelines in the past few years particularly If you check our cages guide on here and on the home page article, the recommended size for all species of hamster now is approximately 100cm x 50cm. Whereas 10 years ago or so, the Hamster Heaven was seen as a large size and acceptable. The changes also include hamsters needing deeper bedding now so they can dig their own tunnels and burrows. Three pet charities recommend 8" to 10" deep bedding. On here we recommend 8" with a minimum of 6" deep if they have a multiroom house as well.

I know it can seem hard to think of sometimes as many long term hamster owners kept dwarf hamsters in a cage the size of the hamster heaven and thought it was fine. But it's kind of accepted now that they do do better with more space

However, he will be perfectly fine in there for now. But I would remove the Penthouse and the tubes. Fill the base of the cage with substrate so it's full (paper bedding is best - wood shavings are also seen as not good for them these days) - something like kaytee clean and cosy. And just give him something like a cardboard shoebox house on top of the substrate - so he has somewhere dark to go to feel secure and build a nest. You just cut the base out of a shoebox, keep the lid as a lift-off roof and cut a hole for a door. He will love that.

He might be a bit miffed for a day or two at the tubes and penthouse disappearing but he'll quickly get into more normal habits.

As to why he's agitated - it;s hard to know sometimes but I suspect it's because he can't nest properly up there, or maybe if he's just been cleaned out.

I've added a couple of articles about cleaning and cages as well I'm sure he'll be a lot happier with 6" of soft bedding and a shoebox house Also is his wheel big enough? I think the one that comes with the hamster heaven is 8" but I can't remember, which is ok for a young hamster but 9" or 10" is more popular for when they're fully grown and they run better in those. If it's only a 6" one then it's too small and that can also cause him to be agitated if it's uncomfortable.

The bedding might fall out of the bars a bit ....... but it's not too bad, or you can put strips of cardboard inside the bars There's no rush to upgrade him just yet

When you get chance I'd love to hear about your past hamsters and see photos!

Hamster cage cleaning

Tips on how to clean your hamster cage and avoid causing stress to your hamster. It's best to have plenty of depth of substrate and mainly spot clean your hamster cage. Avoid disturbing your hamster's nest and hoard.

www.thehamsterforum.com

Which hamster cage should I get?

Everything you need to know about choosing the best hamster cage. Our Hamster site contains a wealth of information about appropriate hamster cage set ups and appropriate hamster enclosures. We also have a list of the best hamster cages.

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Vanessa1]

Hello, welcome to the forum. Can't wait to see a picture of woody . I've found the forum really supportive and informative.Ness