# My hamster does not burrow.



## Guest (Mar 19, 2021)

Hi, my syrian hamster does not burrow, once I buried his food to see if he would dig to find it, but he didn’t burrow he stuck his head under the sawdust! I am wondering if some hamsters only burrow when they have a lot of bedding. He has the savic hamster heaven, the base is around 6 inches deep. I fill it to the top so there is as much bedding as possible but he still does not dig tunnels. As hamsters live in burrows in the wild it is a natural instinct for them to burrow so it is strange he does not burrow. Does anyone else have a hamster that does not burrow and have you found that providing more bedding encourages the hamster?


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Some hamsters just don't like to burrow, nothing to worry about  

I had the Savic hamster heaven for one of my hamsters, great cage


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## Knighterist (Feb 10, 2020)

My hamster is too lazy to burrow. If I don't pile the paper bedding in his corner, he just takes some and makes a circle around himself. I found that out quite recently too! I have hemp bedding filled up as deep as the base allows on one end of the cage and add paper bedding chunks in for burrow making, but I thought maybe I can give him more stimulation by leaving him a chunk and he can build his own, only to realise that he's too lazy for that!


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

Tbh 6 inches isn't a lot. Syrians are 6 inches long. Put cardboard against the bars and add a lot of bedding to make it deeper. It's unlikely that your hamster doesn't like burrowing as it's such a natural behaviour and they're not that domesticated really so it's not lost.


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## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

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.

There are 2 main reasons why hamsters will not burrow. None of them are a hamster being lazy.

1) They are old and/or unwell. An unwell animal isn't going to waste energy doing something they don't have to do to survive. If your hamster has never been witnessed digging/ burrowing then this is unlikely to be the cause. But if an individual who previously has displayed a range of natural behaviours stops doing so, it can be an early symptom of needing the vets.

2) They've never been kept in an appropriate environment before to develop the skill. All behaviours, even natural ones, take practice and learning to develop. For example humans are persistence hunters - we've evolved hardcore endurance to keep walking/ running after prey. But your average western human isn't going to just be able to go out and run a marathon just like that, if they've not worked on maintaining the skill since childhood. By the same token, a hamster who has previously lived in an environment without opportunity to dig, they're not going to suddenly go out there and dig a tunnel city. You need to ease them in slowly, go 'hey did you know you can do this?' and help them develop their skills and grow their enjoyment.

From a practical point of view for the second, you need to consider:
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.

b) The substrate composition suitability. Not all substrates are equally easy to dig in. And sawdust/ fine shavings and also the hemp mentioned on their own are pretty bad. They just don't have the structural integrity to hold their shape. So your hamster can dig a little hole/ shuffle some stuff to the side, but can't actually dig further. Think trying to build a sandcastle or dig a hole in dry sand - it just doesn't work. You can either switch to a better substrate, or, more enriching still, mix up a few things for the various positives and negatives to balance out. There are many suitable suggestions in this article: https://www.animallama.com/hamsters/best-bedding-hamsters/

In addition to substrate and cage changes, you can help your hamster learn to enjoy digging by:
i) Scatter feeding, that is sprinkling their dry food around on the substrate rather than feeding from a bowl. This is clearly much more enriching as they're using their brains, and much healthier as you're encouraging movement. Hamsters have excellent noses and their whiskers help them find food too. It gets them used to engaging with the substrate with a clear reward. Once they are happy to hoover around on the surface you can level up the difficulty by deliberately putting the food deep into the substrate/ mixing it up after sprinkling.

ii) Burying or partially burying cardboard boxes and tubes. This helps get them started with experiencing being under the substrate, as well as being cheap (free!) and easy for humans.

*Side note: The Savic HH also doesn't really have enough height to the barred part of the cage for adult Syrian hamsters either. Specifically with regards to using a suitable diameter exercise wheel - adult Syrians need 10" minimum for small boys, up to 11" or 12" for bigger individuals (particularly girls). It's just not possible to fit a full base of substrate and a wheel in with enough clearance for it to turn. So you will probably also need to take steps to section the base of the cage off into a deep end for digging, and a shallower end for running. Or upgrade the cage, since the cage in question is the ethical minimum suitable.


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## Knighterist (Feb 10, 2020)

You're right maybe my hamster just never developed the sense of burrowing. I have added a dig box and he took the bedding from there to build his own burrow fortress. I tried encouraging him to go dig into he dig box but he just takes the food and goes off to his fortress. I have increases bedding depth and since I use help I thought the dig box would be the dig haven for him but he isn't too interested or keen. I scatter feed and he does have a good shuffle round for the food. I will try add under bedding tube or tunnels - should I put the ends above surface so he can dig under?


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2021)

Torin. Thanks that was a lot of helpful information. However.
-my hamster is not old or unwell.
-he has been kept in an appropriate environment.
-the substrate is fine because my gerbil happily burrows.
-his wheel is large enough as he is a small syrian hamster and his back does not arch at all, his wheel is 8 inches I know it is small but I have watched him and his back is not arched.
-I also already scatter feed.
I think it isn’t really something to worry about has my hamster is showing no signs of stress or boredom. I realise it is a natural behaviour for them as they live in burrows in the wild and although it should be instinct not all hamsters are the same and he seems fine. I also can’t afford to have more bedding as I already have a gerbil and I am getting a new hamster next week.


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## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

Knighterist said:


> You're right maybe my hamster just never developed the sense of burrowing. I have added a dig box and he took the bedding from there to build his own burrow fortress. I tried encouraging him to go dig into he dig box but he just takes the food and goes off to his fortress. I have increases bedding depth and since I use help I thought the dig box would be the dig haven for him but he isn't too interested or keen. I scatter feed and he does have a good shuffle round for the food. I will try add under bedding tube or tunnels - should I put the ends above surface so he can dig under?


Honestly that's good! It feels bad because it's not what we wanted them to do in exactly the right way, but free interaction and decision-making with the materials available shows that they're enjoying things. It's also worth noting that cacheing food is another key natural hamster behaviour - the fact that he's searching for food and then pouching it and taking it off to his nest is brilliant.

With buried tunnels and things, I like to do a bit of a mixture. Tunnels at diagonals can be good with sort of one end poking up and looking inviting. Weird-shaped boxes and bits of flat cardboard staggered into the substrate at intervals can be good too, like a sort of subterranean roof.

With scatter feeding now, try making it a bit harder. So rather than just scattering the food on top of the substrate, scatter it, and then stick your hand in to mix it all up. You'll get some of the smaller ingredients of the food trickling down into the depth of the substrate, thus requiring more active digging and searching to find. Often this is small oily seeds which are really high value to hamsters, so they will put an awful lot of effort into finding them.

I also really love providing hay and/or straw. You can mix this in to give a bit more structure to the substrate, or you can just add a layer on top. It provides more depth in a less messy way, and nicely replicates hams walking through natural grasslands. Hay especially can make them smell really nice.

It doesn't need to be replicating everything they would do in the wild sort of all in one go, so don't feel bad by comparing it to that. Just so long as all the individual constitute parts are things they can do.



Gerbil356 said:


> Torin. Thanks that was a lot of helpful information. However.
> -my hamster is not old or unwell.
> -he has been kept in an appropriate environment.
> -the substrate is fine because my gerbil happily burrows.
> ...


I don't mean that you haven't kept him in an appropriate environment, I mean his life so far. How the individual was raised, how the mother was kept, what natural behaviours the mother taught the litter, how and where your hamster was living after leaving mum but before getting into your care. Even if we get them as youngsters, pets don't come into our care with a blank slate.

If substrate is being costly for you, I would take a look at how and where you are buying it. Did you read the link at all? There is advice in there about how to do things more affordably e.g. buying substrate in bulk as sold for horses.

Hamsters and gerbils have similar needs, but they're not identical. They don't naturally live in the same environments. Things can be suitable for one species of rodents and not another. They're not a monolithic group. This is a pet care discussion/ advice board. You can't really post asking for advice and then ignore the answers which don't agree with what you've already decided is 'correct'.


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

Gerbil356 said:


> Torin. Thanks that was a lot of helpful information. However.
> -my hamster is not old or unwell.
> -he has been kept in an appropriate environment.
> -the substrate is fine because my gerbil happily burrows.
> ...


hamsters and gerbils are completely different and so are individuals what one may be fine with the other wont.

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.

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?

All hamsters burrow. Thats like saying gerbils dont chew. cats dont hiss and dogs dont make any noise at all.

You never did upload a photo of your set-up. (i dont think you did anyway)

Also, thanks @Torin. Lots of valuable info which i hope OP takes on board 

Please note we are only stating whats best for your pet and enabling you to care for them the best you can and have the most up to date info to aid you in doing that


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2021)

Hi, thanks for answering. I understand that gerbils and hamsters are different I just meant that when my gerbils burrow the substrate holds. I also know an 8 inch wheel is small but I have watched my hamster and his back is not even close to arching. If it was I would upgrade it straight away. I realise that his cage is not perfect but I am not in a place where I can upgrade it. He is not showing any signs of boredom. My care is getting better every day and in the future I will have very large cages and do everything I can for my hamsters. And I feel like there has been a bit of misunderstanding. I can afford enough bedding for them to burrow just not inches and inches and inches. Of course if I ever feel like they could be happier and get better care with someone else I would give them away. And I would never ever deny them medical help. I feel like you are getting the impression that I don’t really care or at least don’t do my best to look after my animals. This is absolutely incorrect. I love animals and it makes me sick how some are being treated. I do my best to care for them and I always do research and I would never get one if I didn’t have the right conditions to look after it. I am learning every day and my care is still not perfect but it is getting better. And Torin. I am not ignoring answers I have just used evidence to decide that it is unlikely that what you have suggested applies in my situation.


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

Gerbil356 said:


> Hi, thanks for answering. I understand that gerbils and hamsters are different I just meant that when my gerbils burrow the substrate holds. I also know an 8 inch wheel is small but I have watched my hamster and his back is not even close to arching. If it was I would upgrade it straight away. I realise that his cage is not perfect but I am not in a place where I can upgrade it. He is not showing any signs of boredom. My care is getting better every day and in the future I will have very large cages and do everything I can for my hamsters. And I feel like there has been a bit of misunderstanding. I can afford enough bedding for them to burrow just not inches and inches and inches. Of course if I ever feel like they could be happier and get better care with someone else I would give them away. And I would never ever deny them medical help. I feel like you are getting the impression that I don't really care or at least don't do my best to look after my animals. This is absolutely incorrect. I love animals and it makes me sick how some are being treated. I do my best to care for them and I always do research and I would never get one if I didn't have the right conditions to look after it. I am learning every day and my care is still not perfect but it is getting better. And Torin. I am not ignoring answers I have just used evidence to decide that it is unlikely that what you have suggested applies in my situation.


No i just think it wouldn't be wise if you couldn't afford the bedding to not bring another hamster home.
Thats all we care about, informing owners, obviously what you do it completely up to you.


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## Knighterist (Feb 10, 2020)

@Torin. , Thank you! Seriously as my first hamster I am still learning after a year and still finding new things to do to improve his life. I will add more bedding and try to do subterranean structures over the weekend. I upgraded from Alaska to a Pawhut recently and I can finally fill the sides with lots of bedding. Though it ends up evening out and falling out the door gap but good idea about subterranean structures! I am genuinely surprised he's not keen to burrow in the dig box because it's filled with comfy paper and deep... But he's taken bits from there and made his own fortress so as you said it isn't a bad thing either. I also try to give him a small dish of food and snacks (veg or fruit) where I snipped in shreds of tissue paper (lately it's fancy plain Kleenex, his lordship is pleased), and then placed a few toys on top so he needs to figure out to move the toys then forage in the paper for snacks. I also noticed that he takes the tissue for his burrow too which I assumed to be a good sign!
I think what I worry is that he hasn't got enough bedding material to make his burrow so I just keep offering tissue paper to him one way or another...


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## Knighterist (Feb 10, 2020)

Erm so I have started mixing food into the substrate...Maybe it's early days but I worry. My hamster just goes for the easy ones on the very top that didn't get mixed in. He gave me the evil stare that I have made food less accessible to him. Maybe I worry too much about this, would he be to his sense and actually forage and dig for his food when his current stock runs low (presumably hamsters are clever and resourceful beings so they will try and do everything before starvation kicks in)? Or did I go switch things up too quickly?


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

Knighterist said:


> Erm so I have started mixing food into the substrate...Maybe it's early days but I worry. My hamster just goes for the easy ones on the very top that didn't get mixed in. He gave me the evil stare that I have made food less accessible to him. Maybe I worry too much about this, would he be to his sense and actually forage and dig for his food when his current stock runs low (presumably hamsters are clever and resourceful beings so they will try and do everything before starvation kicks in)? Or did I go switch things up too quickly?


He'll be fine  don't worry he'll find it


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## Knighterist (Feb 10, 2020)

Engel98 said:


> He'll be fine  don't worry he'll find it


Thanks Engel! I have hidden a dry snack in the bedding by the glass so I can see if he found it...So far it's still there! Hoping the snack being there would encourage digging! I also notice he tends to sneeze after digging but I guess that's normal?


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

Knighterist said:


> Thanks Engel! I have hidden a dry snack in the bedding by the glass so I can see if he found it...So far it's still there! Hoping the snack being there would encourage digging! I also notice he tends to sneeze after digging but I guess that's normal?


What substrate are you using? Hamsters are individuals and each react to bedding differently. It could be that your ham has started to burrow and dig for food and the fibres from the bedding are irritating his nose.


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## Knighterist (Feb 10, 2020)

Engel98 said:


> What substrate are you using? Hamsters are individuals and each react to bedding differently. It could be that your ham has started to burrow and dig for food and the fibres from the bedding are irritating his nose.


I'm using Hugro hemp with a mix of Kaytee clean and cosy. He's never had problems with clean and cosy before. It could be the fibres of the hemp. I have another 100L of that for the next couple of cleans. I try to listen out to if he sneezes a lot or if it's just one. He seems reasonably healthy with no discharges around the eyes and nose so maybe it was a fibre that prodded his nose like you said. Should I consider changing bedding type? I thought he was doing pretty well with the hemp and paper (for his sleeping burrow).


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

My one Syrian had issues with hemp, so did my robo. Now I just stick to paper based as it's an all round goodie. (I use fitch). Well there's no harm in giving it a go. Try just paper. Give the cage and room a really good clean to remove any dust and see how you go.


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## Knighterist (Feb 10, 2020)

Engel98 said:


> My one Syrian had issues with hemp, so did my robo. Now I just stick to paper based as it's an all round goodie. (I use fitch). Well there's no harm in giving it a go. Try just paper. Give the cage and room a really good clean to remove any dust and see how you go.


I'll stock up some paper bedding, think my current stock of it just dried up and hemp is the majority stock. I have added more bedding in over weekend so he can have more bedding. He did nose about in the hemp and have a good dig for one piece of food (success!) and he didn't sneeze but I'll try to switch up bedding a little. I am sure he will appreciate the all round premade burrow!
I have an odd question, since I have moved from a wire and tub cage to a Pawhut wooden hutch style cage, do I just spray hutch spray and wipe down, scoop off the bedding and hoover it out?


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

Knighterist said:


> I'll stock up some paper bedding, think my current stock of it just dried up and hemp is the majority stock. I have added more bedding in over weekend so he can have more bedding. He did nose about in the hemp and have a good dig for one piece of food (success!) and he didn't sneeze but I'll try to switch up bedding a little. I am sure he will appreciate the all round premade burrow!
> I have an odd question, since I have moved from a wire and tub cage to a Pawhut wooden hutch style cage, do I just spray hutch spray and wipe down, scoop off the bedding and hoover it out?


Oh my sorry for such a late reply! I would have plastikoted the wood to help with resistance to pee. Idk how hutch sprays actually work. Wood will absorb water and odour. I've never used them. I'd scoop and hoover. Sorry I can't be much more help


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## Knighterist (Feb 10, 2020)

Engel98 said:


> Oh my sorry for such a late reply! I would have plastikoted the wood to help with resistance to pee. Idk how hutch sprays actually work. Wood will absorb water and odour. I've never used them. I'd scoop and hoover. Sorry I can't be much more help


Thank you Engel! I do have a coat of Plastickote on the back boards and levels but I still worry about dirt being stuck in the texture. I did a major clean this weekend and it took 2 hours! I scooped and scooped and scooped. My hoover has never seen so much things to suck up either! I tried hutch wipes as well, which were utterly useless as the wood just shreds them with the wooden texture. Eventually he's moved back in with a generous filling of 60L of bedding  I haave a very deep end for him and he's still not too keen yet (his hamster slave put in fake tunnels that lead into the bedding, his Lordship isn't happy about this!)


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## hamster hyper-fixation (Sep 18, 2021)

:Beaverok, here is a bullet list of things that might work:Beaver

* more bedding, 6 inches is bare minimum but many hamsters won't burrow until 10-14 inches of bedding, if your cage can't fit that then try getting a new cage, bin cages are cheap and good, also repurposed furniture, 50 gallon or more fishtanks work too but are expensive. 
*
* try adding burrow starters, look up what they are, Victoria Rachel has videos on it*
*
 make sure the bedding is packed down and can support tunnels, Erin's Animals has a lot of good videos on this as well as Victoria Rachle

 give him time, if you have done all of these things and he still won't burrow just wait, some hamsters can take months to burrow!*

here are a few videos to get started:

this is a video on hamster Enrichment, and has information on burrowing: 




Erin's Animals has a cheap bedding video here: 




this is a decent troubleshooting video, I recommend it:


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