Exersizing the hamster.....

Question
Hi Karen,
I have a 3 month old Syrian hamster and he is very active at night. I have tried taking him out to play but he seems to just have even more energy after that. I put him in a plastic ball which he likes to roll around in, but I was wondering if you have any ideas for a playhouse for him. Something where I can make contact with him, but he can move around from box to box freely. If you have any ideas, send them my way!
Sarah

Answer
Hi Sarah,

    It is really good that he is so active. There are different types of hamster houses (or cages) that you can buy, like critter trail, that many tubes you can connect together, giving the hamster a great playhouse.
    One thing to keep in mind when having a cage with tubes, is that some hamsters will take their bedding into the tube and sometimes they will get blocked (or even block themselves in). When this happens, it should be unblocked as soon as possible. I have heard of hamsters getting trapped in the tubes and suffocate.
    You can also put different things in his cage (if it is big enough) like used toilet paper or paper towel rolls, or if you have a small box lying around, you can cut holes in it and put it in their cage.
    If you have anymore questions, please write again.

Thank you for writing!