My female syrian, Chesnie, keeps rubbing herself up and down her cage.

My thoughts are that she is rubbing her scent everywhere...is this common or even correct?

I haven't noticed my russian or robo's doing it...but they are way more relaxed.

Chesnie is forever trying to get out of her cage...chewing etc...

I have given her numerous chews etc...would a bigger cage help her?

Also, I am looking for a cage for one of my robo's as she is poorly and her sister keeps trampling on her. She has a fat growth under her chin and I think her sister is getting on her nerves...not bullying or anything...just not taking her condition into account...

If anyone has a spare cage for poorly Polly and/or a Rotastak cage for chewing Chesnie I would really appreciate some help!

Thanks x

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Felix
Wish You Were Here

you're right that she is scent marking.

I wouldn't get her a rotastak cage. They are poor cages. Generally the tubes are too small and depending what type you get, the sections are too small. The main probalem is that the wheel is too small and the cage isn't large enough to fit an appropriately sized wheel (i.e. 8" diameter).

i'd leave the robo with her sister unless she is actually being bullied. They do walk all over each other and it can be worrying if one is ill, but mentally she will be much happier with her sister (for both their sakes)

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Hamster photos and information: http://harveyhams.piczo.com/?cr=5

Thanks for your reply!

I think you are right about the wheel for the rotastak but she seems to really enjoy it. I have only had the rotastak for the last month and before, when I had a regular cage, with bars, she never ran in the wheel. And she just chewed the bars all the time.

I know what you mean about the cages themselves...I have bought her the kidney shaped one and the long triangle one. She has lots to do in there and I handle her alot but I would like to add another kidney shaped compartment to give her that extra space.

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Felix
Wish You Were Here

Oh, and I will leave the sisters together unless I notice poorly Polly being bullied.

I currently have the robo's in a kidney shaped rotastak with the round compartment attached with a tube. Would it be an idea to add the kidney shaped one to my syrian set up and get another round one for my robo's? would they have enough space?

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Felix
Wish You Were Here

I have found hamsters will chew their bars and not normally the chews you give them, infact I find alot of animals do what they arent meant to do rather than what you want them to do. lol

I found my syrian actually was far too big for a rotastack, he had a ferplast called laura (until he lost his leg on it, thats another story). I then got him a ferplast but it had a deep plastic base, a bar section above the base and then a clear plastic top, it was a great cage, it had different levels and tube spaces (which I managed to attach a rotastack part too one of the little round parts). I had to get him a large wheel as he was not comfortable on the smaller ones especially when he lost his leg.

your poor little robo, my hammy got a growth under his chin, it got bigger and bigger and we had to have him put down, but he was 3 years by then! I hope she gets better, If you do get worried that she is in pain or her sister is too much all the time, you could have a time out cage for her or her sister, to split them for a little bit of time each day, so that she gets a break from being trampled but so they can stay together too!

hehe...yes she will not chew any wooden chews...she seems to like anything metal or plastic. She doesn't struggle with her cage....there is only one small tube in the cage (which connects the cosmo pod to the kidney part) so she doesn't get stuck or anything. I do think it's funny when I feed her....she fills her pouches to the brim and reminds me of a sugar glider!! hehe.

I am looking into getting a tank of some description and adapting it to connect to the rotastak because she does like to dig.

As for poorly Polly, that is a very good suggestion...I will probably have to get Poppy out though as Polly is very jumpy and doesn't like it when I put my hand in the cage!!

I'll let you know how it goes...I am moving house atm though so it might be a while.

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Felix
Wish You Were Here