Spot cleaning for a DEEP underground nest

[clacombe]

So... our Syrian hamster (Cinnamon) has moved his sleeping space from inside his 6-chamber hideout... to the bottom middle of the cage in a 2-chamber peekaboo hideout that had existed virutally unused for at least a year. He enters the hideout from the right (my right, when facing the cage). There is a peekaboo tunnel leading out of the left side, but he has stuffed it up and never uses it. He still seems to urinate in his above-ground sand bath, which I can easily spot clean. He used to also urinate in his corner sand/bedding toilet in the 6-chamber hideout, but I have noticed that since he began sleeping in a more hidden burrow, this potty is not getting used as much. I have reached into his new chamber from the right (as far as I can reach when he is out of his cage) and I don't feel any wet bedding, but I feel like eventually I may have to check from the other side, which will upend some of his bedding on that side.

Any recommendations on how often I should do this? I don't smell anything right now. Picture attached so that you can get an idea. He is sleeping in the bottom middle where there is a visible outline of a 2-chamber peekaboo hideout with a digbox resting on top of it. He enters from a tunnel he dug on the right side- you can't see this tunnel from here, but when I lift the lid of his 6-chamber hideaway (right) I can see where he has dug the entry.

 

[Maz]

It's difficult isn't it? I'm going to have the same issue with Tino who is sleeping underground somewhere (and I think peeing underground too) but I'm not sure where yet? I would just have a feel around under there to find a wet area! Unfortunately it does mean possibly disturbing a burrow if it's nearby but there's not much else you can do.

 

[Hank]

Maz is right, it's really hard, but it has to be done. My little girl has a lovely MCH, which is easily accessible, however at the moment, her burrow in under her Sandbath. I have to remove the top, she's in a Plaza and do the clean. Sometimes I do have to disturb the burrow, I do feel bad, but I know she will be better for it. I find that I try to mix some of the clean bedding from the middle with the new and make sure I leave the nesting bedding in the middle for her to make her own burrow again. Although she makes herself very busy after, rearranging everything, I don't think she is really upset by it. A couple of things I think help, she takes chews down in her burrows, so as long as they are clean, she gets them back. Also if I remove a lot of the hoard, I replace with new food.
I don't think you have to do it too often, as they are pretty clean. I have found that she doesn't urinate in her nest, it may be close, but not her actual nest, so you might be able to find it without causing too much disruption.

 

[Socks Mum]

Nest invasions! And health checks! Mmm, tricky...

 

[clacombe]

Update: I finally had him out for a bit so I could dig around down there a little over a week ago. I was surprised to find no damp spaces- unless I missed something, so I've returned to just cleaning his above ground potty and checking his inside corner litter tray periodically. It still doesn't seem like he's using the indoor one as frequently- it seems more like an adapted horde now, piling up with more food than it used to (there always used to be some snacks there). So, I'm just going to periodically do a deep bedding check and stick to my more typical spot cleaning inbetween.

 

[Maz]

So is he using the potty only then do you think?

 

[clacombe]

I think so... I just decided to do a spot clean right now. He's definitely sleeping in the deep hideaway now, and I used the opportunity to clean out some of his old hoard (under his previous sleeping space) that was filled with sand and poops. The indoor corner potty did have some dampness in the bottom layer of sand, but less than it used to and had more food than it used to. I cleaned that out and kept some of his current hoard in it. I will wait another week or two and then try to come in from the opposite side of his current underground sleeping chamber to make sure there isn't another buried potty area. That is where I was afraid I might find one but didn't when I did the deep check- so it's either that there isn't one or the bedding does a really good job of absorption. The corner sandbath/ outdoor potty does seem to be getting heavier use again. He did come out when I started doing the cleaning today (what is all that noise in my house?). When he fully emerged I did reach as far as I could into his sleeping hole from the side he comes out from and I couldn't feel any dampness or a hoard.