Hi

[Fatherofthehams]

Hi Everyone,

This is Wallace ! We got him not so long ago and we've already got a new bigger cage for him. The Bucatstate big boy hahaha.

However I have read on here that moving cages can be very stressful for them so we would love some advice ! We have been giving him some play time in the cage for an hour right now just to get him used to his surroundings and thrown some of his toys in there too.

We are going to move him back to his home cage soon and gently for an hour a night give him play time in the up and coming new home he is going to have. I will move everything that's in his home cage into the new one gently and in very similar places so that it doesn't make him feel uncomfortable.

We are doing what we can to make him happy however any more advice in case we are missing things would be appreciated !

Thanks guys happy to be here

 

[Maz]

He's gorgeous! I think you're doing all the right things there. When it comes to moving day, another tip is - don't clean anything - however tempting it is - it'll be fine for another couple of weeks. So keep all his old bedding back and spread that on top of any new bedding, so it smells familiar. And also keep his nest area and try and put that back in a similar place. And also keep his hoard. If some of it is pee'd on and soggy, then not that part, but try and keep as much of it as you can and put that back in a similar place too.

Then before you move him across, hide some tasty treats or chew sticks in various locations. It'll distract him and he'll be excited at finding the treats so it'll help him settle.

Then maybe leave him alone for a day or two while he adjusts but keep talking to him if you see him. Doing it this way he should be settled in in a few days and not stressed, but he might be a bit skitty the first day or two

 

[Socks' Mum]

Welcome to the forum lovely Wallace and Wallace's dad What a gorgeous hammy you are. Good luck with moving, I'm sure it will be fine

 

[Amy]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations to your gorgeous hamster he’s beautiful!
The Bucatstate is a great cage, I bought the medium size. I bet he will love it
I placed his interior in the new cage but didn’t wash or clean anything, so the smell was familiar. It was a very easy transmission, but my hamster also claims the playpen and the kitchen has his home and his cage only as his sleeping spot
I am sure your hamster will settle in very fast especially as you have already had him in there and it has his scent
I hope we see many more fotos

 

[Hamster Haven]

Welcome!

 

[Fatherofthehams]

Thanks guys ! What an awesome forum

So at a bit of a tricky situation.....Wallace doesn't seem to want to come out of the new enclosure he's in his hidey hole and I don't know if I should remove him by lifting it up. I have been trying to tempt him but he just does not want to move !

What should I do

 

[Hamster Haven]

Is it just today that's he's not coming out? Is he still in his old cage or is this in the new one?

 

[fancyhamster]

Welcome to the forum!!! Wallace is a cutie

 

[Maz]

Thanks guys ! What an awesome forum

So at a bit of a tricky situation.....Wallace doesn't seem to want to come out of the new enclosure he's in his hidey hole and I don't know if I should remove him by lifting it up. I have been trying to tempt him but he just does not want to move !

What should I do

I'm guessing he hasn't been in there very long. So I wouldn't worry too much. Was he wanting to come out before he was moved? It is quite common that a cage move temporarily sets back taming and interaction and he is likely to be just settling in and adjusting. It can take a week or more before they feel confident and are out and about.

I wouldn't just take him out yet, but one tip is to do feeding time around 8pm - put his hamster mix and a tiny piece of veg out like cucumber or broccoli (no bigger than his ear), and he'll start getting up at feeding time when he smells the veg. If you put the veg on a dish or shelf on the opposite side of the cage to where he's sleeping, it means he has to cross the cage to get it! And the smell wakes them up and brings them out. Then when he's on the way back, you could offer him a tube or similar "taxi" for him to walk into and have him out of the cage. He'll soon get into a routine of coming out again.

But for the first few days it's best to leave him alone to adjust to his new environment and make it his own. If he's still invisible after 10 days - we can think again!

 

[Hamster Haven]

I'm guessing he hasn't been in there very long. So I wouldn't worry too much. Was he wanting to come out before he was moved? It is quite common that a cage move temporarily sets back taming and interaction and he is likely to be just settling in and adjusting. It can take a week or more before they feel confident and are out and about.

I wouldn't just take him out yet, but one tip is to do feeding time around 8pm - put his hamster mix and a tiny piece of veg out like cucumber or broccoli (no bigger than his ear), and he'll start getting up at feeding time when he smells the veg. If you put the veg on a dish or shelf on the opposite side of the cage to where he's sleeping, it means he has to cross the cage to get it! And the smell wakes them up and brings them out. Then when he's on the way back, you could offer him a tube or similar "taxi" for him to walk into and have him out of the cage. He'll soon get into a routine of coming out again.

But for the first few days it's best to leave him alone to adjust to his new environment and make it his own. If he's still invisible after 10 days - we can think again!

I was thinking similarly. My current hamster doesn't come out early, but it took her weeks even to get comfortable being out when we were out. Since you've had Wallace out already, maybe it's just him reacclimating to new changes.

 

[Amy]

Thanks guys ! What an awesome forum

So at a bit of a tricky situation.....Wallace doesn't seem to want to come out of the new enclosure he's in his hidey hole and I don't know if I should remove him by lifting it up. I have been trying to tempt him but he just does not want to move !

What should I do

Leave him in there I would suggest. He seems to feel homely there

 

[Fatherofthehams]

Hellooo,

He was in there for over an hour. It was late at night and I had work hahaha! He finally came out and we did some handling sessions, in a short period of time he has progressed far, however when he is first up in his current cage he seems wary and doesn't seem to want to come out at times. Got some new stuff coming to the cage, sprays and platforms etc so I am making it as if each day is going to have a new thing for him !

Thanks for all your lovely comments !

 

[Hamster Haven]

Hellooo,

He was in there for over an hour. It was late at night and I had work hahaha! He finally came out and we did some handling sessions, in a short period of time he has progressed far, however when he is first up in his current cage he seems wary and doesn't seem to want to come out at times. Got some new stuff coming to the cage, sprays and platforms etc so I am making it as if each day is going to have a new thing for him !

Thanks for all your lovely comments !

Sounds about right. Our little girl has become quite a fan of coming out to explore, so I was excited when I heard her awake around 9:30PM last night, a bit earlier than usual...turns out she was obsessively chewing at a wooden wall that is part of her peekaboo underground hideaway and wasn't interested in coming out either! She actually came out abnormally late and we weren't able to take her out last night. It happens! I'm going to try to lure her out earlier tonight.