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

Product Information

When creating a digging box for your hamster, it is essential to prioritize safety. Remove any toxic plants or substances from the digging box to prevent accidental ingestion. Avoid materials with small particles that could be swallowed, leading to digestive issues. Regularly inspect the digging box for any signs of wear and tear, such as loose or broken elements, and immediately replace them to avoid any harm to your hamster. It is recommended to supervise your hamster while they are exploring the digging box to ensure their safety and prevent any accidents. The simplest option is to provide two sand baths in different parts of the cage. That way if the hamster does decide to pee and poo in one, it will keep the other for bathing. Hamsters have good hygiene and won’t mix the two up. Some people don’t like to give sand baths in the cage because hamsters will sometimes use them as litter trays. If your hamster gets regular free range you can give daily access to a sand bath in their free-range area instead, but it’s best care practice to provide 24/7 access to sand in the cage. External access needs to be for at least 30 minutes every day, so providing this can become quite labour intensive. 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.

To provide the sand in the cage, there are various options, including sand bath containers sold in pet shops. The best way is to section off a bit of the cage base and have a sandy area for walking in. 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 Hamsters are delightful pets that bring joy and entertainment to our lives. As responsible pet owners, it is essential to provide them with an enriching environment that promotes their natural behaviors. One fantastic way to satisfy their innate instincts is by creating a hamster digging box. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of making a hamster digging box, ensuring your furry friend has a stimulating and fulfilling experience. From selecting the right materials to incorporating safe and exciting elements, we’ll cover everything you need to know to create an enticing digging box for your beloved hamster.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.

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. Monitor an older hamster’s body temperature, ensuring it remains warm enough to be comfortable. Do Hamsters Burrow When They Die? 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. Wood shavings have a bad reputation in rodent keeping, because raw softwood shavings can be dusty and contain chemical compounds that irritate rodents’ sensitive respiratory systems. However, dust extracted aspen wood shavings are safe and can make a good substrate option. Aspen is a hardwood tree so it doesn’t contain potentially harmful aromatic oils that softwood contains. Hamsters build a complex range of tunnels underground. Some hamsters burrow as deep as one meter underground, but more commonly, they’ll cease burrowing at around two-thirds of this distance.

Conclusion

You have plenty of options where it comes to setting up a specific burrowing area for your hamster. If his or her cage is large enough, consider the addition of a partition so that you may make one side more suitable for burrowing while keeping the other relatively unchanged. Add bedding or other burrowing material, whichever you choose and is safe for your pet. Some hamster owners like to use the (unscented) tissues that came in the tissue boxes in the first place. The Journal of Ethology explains how a Syrian hamster in its natural environment will spend just an hour a day above ground, spending the remainder under the sand. You can tell hamsters that don’t have access to sand just from photos and initial handling. Providing access to a sand bath is vitally important to hamster welfare, but it is something that is frequently overlooked. Another approach is to create a burrowing box for the hamster by taking a tissue box and cutting a hole in the bottom. Fill the box with substrate and place it in the hamster’s habitat. What Is The Best Hamster Bedding for Burrowing?

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. There are three different options for creating a digging area. What they all have in common is that they need a good-sized footprint, so the hamster can tunnel horizontally as well as vertically. A hamster aged 18 months or older is entering the final months of its lifespan, and behaviors will change. Digging and burrowing will be among the first activities to cease. Their bed/nest is very important for hamster mental wellbeing so don’t disturb their beds too often as it will stress them out.Cut a small, circular hole in the bottom of one of the boxes. The hole should be just large enough to accommodate the size of a toilet paper tube. Hamster enrichment does not need to be elaborate or expensive. In fact, it will cost you nothing at all to take your hamster outside for some play time and/or bring some items from nature into his enclosure. Barred cages are the most popular solution for housing hamsters, but they do not facilitate burrowing as well as tanks, like aquariums and terrariums.

Hamsters of all breeds have been observed burrowing both in the wild and in domestic settings. Syrians, Dwarf hamsters and Chinese hamsters (the most popular/common pet breeds of the hamster) may exhibit varying levels of interest in burrowing. This can range from an aggressive, insistent interest to no interest at all. Whether your hamster is a burrower or not, you don’t need to worry. It’s not unhealthy for them if they do not burrow, nor is it unhealthy if they love to burrow a lot. How You Can Nurture Your Hamster’s Burrowing BehaviorHamsters are known for being goofy with a wide array of personality traits that may make us laugh or scratch our heads, with burrowing being one of them. There is absolutely no harm in burrowing or not burrowing, as the animal’s enthusiasm for it depends entirely on their personality. If your hamster has no love of digging around and nesting in their bedding, don’t fret. Pine and cedar shavings: Pine and cedar shavings have traditionally been popular choices for hamster bedding because of their pleasant smell and affordable price. However, these types of bedding contain natural oils known as phenols, which can irritate their sensitive respiratory systems. A third option is to place a designated “burrowing bin/box” in the hamster’s existing cage. This can easily be done with something like a tissue box. There are many tutorials online as to how to do this, so while the instructions below may not fit your style, you will likely find a step-by-step guide to constructing your own burrowing box that does. Creating a Custom Burrowing Box 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.