Trixie Large Wooden Digging Tower for Pet Hamster, 25 × 24 × 20 cm

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I also really love providing hay and/or straw. You can mix this in to give a bit more structure to the substrate, or you can just add a layer on top. It provides more depth in a less messy way, and nicely replicates hams walking through natural grasslands. Hay especially can make them smell really nice. Hamsters are good at escaping and frequently seek a way out of their enclosures. Burrowing in a corner is likely an attempt to dig out of a tank, as the hamster hopes to create a tunnel to freedom. Why Has My Hamster Stopped Burrowing?

Sectioning off some of the base of the habitat and have it very full at one end. This is easiest to do in a tank, but if you have a barred cage without a deep enough base, it’s possible to fix vinyl flooring or corrugated plastic onto the bars to contain the substrate. According to The Journal of Comparative Physiology, hamsters look to dig underground and hibernate in temperatures of 43 OF or less. This means shredded kitchen paper, hemp shavings, or soft hay mixed with a bedding topper are best for burrowing hamsters. Why Do Hamsters Dig in Corners? I fully agree with @Engel98. It is absolutely something to worry about and take active steps into correcting if your hamster doesn't burrow. It's a key natural behaviour and an absence of such is a big red flag. And on the positive side, it's an incredibly easy way to add high value enrichment to their life. Every hamster enclosure needs a running wheel – a plastic or wooden wheel with a solid running base is preferable, and these come in both free-standing models and space-saving models, which are secured directly to the wall of the cage.Assembly was easy. Holes were well aligned and properly drilled, though the screwdriver was a slightly different size then the screws. Otherwise tolerances and quality of construction was high. It would of been nice if the screws sat flush. The glue was of substandard quality. One of the tubes had become separated into a clear liquid and a hard white substance. Mixing inside of the tube was impossible. The second tube from the other box spurted and uneven application. Resorted to using my own wood glue to ensure a tight seal. I would not trust the enclosed glue and would use the included screws instead. Hamsters won’t necessarily burrow under the substrate when they approach the end of their lives. As discussed, a senior hamster may lose interest in the effort involved with burrowing. Hamsters don’t need to be cleaned out very often. An ethical minimum cage size of 5000 sq. cm (775 sq. inches) can be easily left for a month, if toilet areas are spot cleaned as needed. Setups that are bigger still can last 3-6 months between cleanouts depending on details of the size and layout.

Not all hamsters are as inclined toward burrowing as others, with some having seemingly no interest in doing so at all. If you are curious about your own hamster’s feelings on the subject or want to facilitate and encourage the burrowing behaviors that you have already witnessed in them, you should set up a burrowing area within or outside of their enclosure. Cages with bars have the problem of mess accumulating around the cage, which also means that the bedding that’s intended to be inside of the cage is getting tossed out. This could be especially problematic if your hamster is an avid digger or burrower, as they’re not going to pay attention to where their bedding is going as they dig. What they will notice, however, is the rapidly dwindling amount of bedding in their cage.Captive hamsters will still be nervous when first brought into a home. A hamster will likely spend time burrowing and remaining out of sight until it grows in confidence. Avoiding Light

If a partition isn’t possible, you can create a secondary enclosure that facilitates their burrowing behavior. You will have to remove them from their cage to this second enclosure when you want them to have some quality burrowing time. This isn’t ideal, as hamsters should be able to burrow at their leisure, so consider finding a way to connect the two enclosures so that your hamster can burrow to his or her heart’s content. DIY Burrowing Boxes Biology Letters confirms that captive hamsters, especially Syrians, are invariably nocturnal, which will be reflected in their behavior. Coco fiber doesn’t hold burrows well, so it’s not suitable as a main substrate, but you can use it as an additional source of enrichment in one part of the cage or a dig box. For something more enclosed, a side opening glass cookie jar is good, although some species of hamsters may need a wooden bridge in the entrance to help them get in and out. Monitor an older hamster’s body temperature, ensuring it remains warm enough to be comfortable. Do Hamsters Burrow When They Die?

Hamsters love exploring and climbing on a variety of toys when in their enclosures, but they can become bored and tired of the same toys for months on end. Scented bedding: Hamsters have an extremely strong sense of smell, and artificial fragrances in scented bedding can irritate their noses and lead to respiratory issues or allergies. It’s important to use actual sand and not dust. The cheapest way to do this is to buy sand sold as children’s play sand, and bake some in a bread tin in the oven to evaporate water but be careful, hot sand is very hot – do not touch it! For a simpler but more expensive option, many petshops now sell chinchilla sand and ReptiSand. Honestly that's good! It feels bad because it's not what we wanted them to do in exactly the right way, but free interaction and decision-making with the materials available shows that they're enjoying things. It's also worth noting that cacheing food is another key natural hamster behaviour - the fact that he's searching for food and then pouching it and taking it off to his nest is brilliant. Soft hay – hay is a great addition to any of the beddings above, and will help add extra structure and stability to your hamster’s burrows.

Substrate is the bedding material we put in the base of the cage for our pets to live on and dig in. For many common pet rodents like mice, rats and guinea pigs, the main thing we have to think about is absorbency of urine. However, in the wild, hamsters are adapted to live in dry, desert areas which means their bodies use water very efficiently; they don’t make a lot of pee, and their poos are dry pellets. no syrian of mine has ever been fine on a 8" wheel, in fact the only hamster species I'd allow to have an 8" wheel is a roborovski. You need to upgrade that ASAP. Theres no excuse. He's not fine. Worth noting that the hamster heaven is no longer recommended as the base tapers so is actually smaller than the bare minimum of 80x50cm. Bare minimum definition: the smallest you could possibly go before its considered cruel so technically hes not in a suitable environment. This is becoming a more popular substrate option, as it allows for a more naturalistic set-up. However, it is important to note that most coir (which is sold for gardening and reptile-keeping) is moist in the bag, which is detrimental to hamster health. Therefore, if using this, it is important to dry the material out properly before putting it in the cage. Aspen, spruce or hemp bedding – similar to sawdust/wood shavings but made from hardwood and dust free. However, they aren’t great at supporting burrows, so you’ll need to add a paper-based bedding for extra stability.Bringing the outdoors inside simply means providing natural objects for your hamster to explore within the safety of her enclosure. Most hamsters will be driven to burrow in captivity, so the onus is on you to make this happen. Consider housing a hamster in a solid glass tank rather than a cage because this will minimize mess. Hamsters are adorable and curious creatures that exhibit some of the most interesting or baffling behavior. As a hamster owner or a prospective owner of hamsters in the future, you should have an understanding of what these behaviors mean. One commonly discussed aspect of hamster behavior is burrowing. Do all hamsters burrow? Why do to hey burrow in the first place? We've done the research to bring you some solid answers!