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

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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!

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. Fortunately, the bedding that you already have in your hamster’s enclosure is perfectly fine to use in their burrowing environment as well. What matters more is how much bedding you use – which may depend on the hamster and their eagerness toward digging and burrowing, as well as their size. Dwarf hamsters, for instance, will likely require a shallower burrowing area than larger Syrian hamsters. According to The Journal of Comparative Physiology, hamsters look to dig underground and hibernate in temperatures of 43 OF or less. How much bedding you use will also depend on the height and width of your enclosure. If you have a tank that stands at sixteen inches tall, for instance, filling any portion of the tank (even with a partition) with ten inches of bedding doesn’t leave you a lot of space between the top of the enclosure and the mound of bedding. It may also make it difficult for the hamster to access. 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.

Do All Hamsters Burrow?

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. a) The substrate depth available*. As said above, the Savic HH doesn't actually have a very deep base compared to the physical size of a Syrian hamster. Cardboard against the bars can work, but a better longterm plan is using vinyl flooring offcuts secured on with garden wire, as that's wipeable. If you want to get really fancy you can buy cut-to-size acrylic you can see through. All of these options should be attached on the outside of the cage for best safety. 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.

Whether you have the budget for an elaborate enclosure or simply the time for some supervised outside play, these are simple ways to allow your hamster the ability to explore and exercise. Read on for the details on each of these enrichment opportunities. Best Hamster Enrichment Ideas Burrowing And Climbing

Cages vs Tanks

Hamster balls can be enjoyable for your hamster and for you when used responsibly and for short periods of time. Your hamster cannot eat or drink while in the ball, so should not be left too long. Hamsters 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. Essentially, burrowing for wild hamsters is to negotiate terrain without rising to the surface. This helps hamsters avoid predator detection, including birds of prey, snakes, and desert mammals. 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

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. Roborovskihamsters are a species that lives primarily in desert areas, so they need more sand in their enclosure. It’s recommended that at least⅓of their cage is covered in sand. Unsafe Types of Hamster BeddingHamsters love to dig – it is an important behaviour for them and it is essential that their cage setup allows them plenty of digging opportunities. Ideally, they should be able to dig anywhere in their cage base, but if it isn’t possible to make that substrate deep enough, then they’ll also need a special digging area.

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. 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 Behavior 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.Wooden Visible Hamster Digging Box: Measurement: 11.1 x 7.36 x 7.3 inch(ca. 28.3cm x 18.6cm x 18.7cm). Niteangel visible hamster digging box adopts enclosed design, let your little pet can freely explore and play in the digging box, 2.75 inches top exit convenient small pets in and out, it not only can be filled with bedding for small animals for hidden games, but also be used as a storehouses to store food or favorite toys for hamsters. Their bed/nest is very important for hamster mental wellbeing so don’t disturb their beds too often as it will stress them out. Monitor an older hamster’s body temperature, ensuring it remains warm enough to be comfortable. Do Hamsters Burrow When They Die? Paper-based bedding – this is a really good option and can be used on its own or with other types mixed in. You shouldnt be getting another hamster if you can't even afford bedding. What happens if any of your current animals need vet attention? Are you going to deny them of any medical help? How will you afford that?