Hamster cages

Question
I have a Syrian teddy-bear hamster I've had him for a couple of months and i noticed this morning that he had moved all of his saw dust from one cage into a connecting tube and was flicking it out though the bars with his back legs. Recently he had been moving the sawdust to only one side of the cage but now he's seem's to have moved it all and this is was the day after i had cleaned him out. I was wondering if i could put anything else on the ground which i know you can for teddybear hamsters because small bits of sawdust can get stuck in his fur and if there is a reason hes doing this?

Answer
Hi Sarah,

It's normal for hamsters to move their bedding all around.  It's kind of like "house-cleaning."  Since he's making a mess, you can place a shallow tray under the cage to catch the extra shavings.

I notice you said you use Sawdust for your hamster's bedding.  Sawdust can cause major respiratory problems in hamsters, so I would highly encourage you to switch to a safe bedding.  Aspen and Carefresh beddings are good, safe choices.  Also, Carefresh bedding has larger particles and doesn't make such a mess.  And, it's highly absorbent.

Avoid Pine and Cedar beddings, since, like Sawdust, they cause respiratory problems.

Have a great day!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly