Changing burrows

[RainbowBrite]

Does anybody know why hamsters suddenly stop using a burrow? I have had two hamsters and both have done this.

Sprite stopped using his MCH a week ago despite no changes. Orko did this too.

 

[elusive]

I don’t know exactly why but it just seems to be natural behaviour, most of the hamsters I’ve had have had multiple burrows & or nests & change from time to time.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I don’t know exactly why but it just seems to be natural behaviour, most of the hamsters I’ve had have had multiple burrows & or nests & change from time to time.

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

 

[Maz]

I think they do this sometimes. With robos I found they’d change them after spot cleaning. Maybe he hasn’t given up on it but just started a new project

 

[RainbowBrite]

I think they do this sometimes. With robos I found they’d change them after spot cleaning. Maybe he hasn’t given up on it but just started a new project

He has now made a burrow under the platform his wheel stands on. It looks difficult for him to squeeze under it but he seems to like it.

 

[elusive]

That does seem to be a favourite spot for a lot of hamsters, they do sometimes seem to squeeze into the tiniest of gaps!

 

[Hank]

I don't know why, however Jas moves. She is currently in a burrow under her sandbath. She does have tunnels to all over though, including to the MCH and under her wheel. I had to ruin her burrow last week, she was going to the toilet by the burrow, so I thought she might go back to the MCH, but she seems to have stayed under the sandbath
Maybe they just like a change every so often?

 

[RainbowBrite]

I don't know why, however Jas moves. She is currently in a burrow under her sandbath. She does have tunnels to all over though, including to the MCH and under her wheel. I had to ruin her burrow last week, she was going to the toilet by the burrow, so I thought she might go back to the MCH, but she seems to have stayed under the sandbath
Maybe they just like a change every so often?

That is interesting. Perhaps they do like change. Shame we cannot ask them.

 

[Maz]

I think it depends - it's ok for them to change things but not always for us to change things!

 

[Hank]

That's so true, always on their terms. It would be helpful if they could tell us

 

[ilguy]

It's an ingrained behavior, one of hamsters many defense methods. Makes it harder for a predator to track them. Also why they might move for a bit after their burrow has been disturbed.

 

[RainbowBrite]

It's an ingrained behavior, one of hamsters many defense methods. Makes it harder for a predator to track them. Also why they might move for a bit after their burrow has been disturbed.

That is a great description! Thank you for explaining that.