new cage

[courtneyy11]

Hello,
I have had Tucker for about two months and he has been in the same cage since I have had him. I recently bought a larger cage for him and I was wondering how to get him used to it. I tried putting him in to just smell and check out, but he just ran into his hideout. Should I just keep him in there for him to get used to it or should I put him in a for an hour or so every day until he gets used to it? I don't want to stress him out or freak him out too much.
Thanks!
Courtney

 

[smhufflepuff]

It makes sense that he runs into his hideout. Mine do/did that during the day or any time there was a light on... unless we're talking about Miss Satin who would run to her food dish and munch.

I'd go ahead and move his current belongings from the smaller cage to the bigger one and put him in it overnight. He'll do most of his exploring when it's dark and quiet; not when there's light and he knows someone is watching. Likely, the only way you'll know that he's been exploring all over his new cage is by looking at where the food crumbs and poops ended up in the morning.

One thing I'd make sure to check before Tucker's overnight adventure is that your heating system keeps the big cage as warm as the smaller cage. If you're heating the whole room, it won't make a difference. But if you're using CHE's, you might need to add a second depending on how much bigger the new cage is.

 

[courtneyy11]

Thank you for the advice! I put him in the bigger cage the other night and he has adjusted well. When I woke up the morning after I could tell he used his wheel and he ate all his food- so that was a good sign. I have a space heater in the room so the temperature is still the same. Thanks again.

 

[smhufflepuff]

Yippee for Tucker. Glad he's adjusted well. Bet he loves his new roaming territory.