Show us your cages 2023 onwards

Gorgeous set-ups here and inspirational! I actually came here for some feedback on my set-up. I think I want to change one or two things, but I'm not sure how.

Due to light, I uploaded pictures with the cage top open, but when it's closed the hanging coconut hide rests on his hideaway so he doesn't actually need to climb the ladder to get in.

He does go through the cork log and sometimes climbs onto it as a way to reach the coconut fiber dig box I put in there.

Here are the areas I have the most questions about for feedback:
1) I have a "peekaboo" tunnel that he filled with bedding during the first few weeks of living in his enclosure. I'm tempted to take it out because since he filled it, I'm 99% sure he never uses it.
2) I originally placed the dig box on top of his underground 2-chamber peekaboo hideaway (due to the hideaway having wooden ceiling, it's a safe support for the dig box). The peekaboo tunnel leads down to the hideaway. In the early days, he went down to the 2-chamber hideaway, and though I haven't stuck my hand in I'm 99% sure he hasn't gone in there in months, as I've seen no movement in that area. Similar to the tunnel, he covered the window with bedding, but he's made his home securely on the far right side of the cage in the 6-chamber hideaway, He has hordes underneath his sleeping chamber, but I never see evidence of him burrowing or moving about in areas of the cage other than his 6 chamber hideaway (which is supported by wooden posts so that he can burrow under it) , so I'm tempted to remove the 2-chamber underground hideaway and allow the dig box to be lowered. He doesn't actually dig deep in the dig box, but he'll root around in it and we sprinkle seeds or herbs there for enrichment.
3) The Kaytee hideaway (above ground) has been in there since the beginning, and he doesn't stay in it but he checks it nightly for a hidden treat, and sometimes we put things on top of it for him to find. I occasionally swap out the mini hideaway next to the Kaytee. Right now it's a small grass hide that he sat in in his play pen once and nibbled on, and so I replaced a fleece tent that had been there. When they're in his cage, he mostly just checks them for food.

His wheel, sandbath, 6-chamber hideaway (on which the sandbath rests) and puzzle food box (and water bowl, of course) get used regularly, but I feel like many other things could be swapped or rearranged, though I like the idea of keeping the dig box and cork log for sure. We usually put tiny sprinkles of food in his food bowls and around his cage. I do have another platform that isn't being used right now. I'm thinking about removing the underground Peekaboo 2-chamber hideaway and putting it above ground or removing it entirely, same with the tunnel. If I did that, I could lower the dig box. I'm not sure it needs to be up so high or that climbing into is very enriching, even though originally I was thinking about a variety of "levels."

Thoughts?
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It's a fantastic set up :-) Personally I wouldn't change anything. It works as it is and you'll probably only upset Cinammon if you take something away! Even if they don't seem to use things much, they are part of the furniture and they still like the familiarity.
 
It does look nice as it is, I wouldn’t rearrange things, once they’ve settled in unless something really isn’t working then I tend to leave well alone.
If you do change anything at all it’s best to do just one small thing at a time & see how it goes.
I can see what you mean about that peek a boo tunnel, it doessn’t look as though it gets used & you could probably tell quite easily if he did burrow in there. Were you thinking of replacing it with something else or just having substrate there? He may burrow on the other side of it & having a space there might not be appreciated but it could be ok.
 
Maz said:
It's a fantastic set up :) Personally I wouldn't change anything. It works as it is and you'll probably only upset Cinammon if you take something away! Even if they don't seem to use things much, they are part of the furniture and they still like the familiarity.
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Thanks! That's good to hear. He hasn't shown any signs of being bored, so I'll keep it as is then, and do what I have already sometimes done (i.e., trade one top level "hideaway" that's largely unused for another one once in awhile or add fresh herbs or sprays to a new area/ replace old ones).
 
elusive said:
It does look nice as it is, I wouldn’t rearrange things, once they’ve settled in unless something really isn’t working then I tend to leave well alone.
If you do change anything at all it’s best to do just one small thing at a time & see how it goes.
I can see what you mean about that peek a boo tunnel, it doessn’t look as though it gets used & you could probably tell quite easily if he did burrow in there. Were you thinking of replacing it with something else or just having substrate there? He may burrow on the other side of it & having a space there might not be appreciated but it could be ok.
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I was thinking of just having substrate unless I thought of something else small, but based on your and Maz's feedback, I think I'll leave it as is. I'll have to sneak down into the 2-chamber hideaway at some point just to make sure there isn't any waste that I am unaware of, but if he's not using the space now, he probably isn't more likely to use it if it's just more substrate, and I don't know what I'd add that would be a new texture or toy for a Syrian that he hasn't had exposure to already. I suppose he's got his routine down! I think part of the reason I added the dig box about a month or two ago was to give him something extra in that space, and that has worked out pretty well. He doesn't dig a ton in it, but it's something for him to check out at least once a night and have an extra texture/ foraging space.
 
Maz said:
A new thread for 2023 to show cage set ups :) Some may have changed or be new but feel free to add your existing set up again. It's mainly so all current ones are viewable in the same place.
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How do I add my cage to show everyone?
 
You just start a post and attach the photos with the "attach files" button at the bottom, but before you hit "post reply", move your mouse or finger over the uploaded thumbnail images where it says "insert image". If you move your mouse/finger over "insert image" a drop down menu appears that says full size. Select the bottom of the two options and the image appears larger in the actual post :-) One tip though - make sure your cursor is on the line underneath your typing, before inserting the images, so the pictures don't break up the text.
 
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