How do I get my hamseter to stop knawing on the bars of her cage?

Question

All night long she chews on the bars and it keeps me awake

Answer 1

According to hamsterific.com:

"Although many hamsters chew on their cage bars, it is neither healthy or safe. Chewing on the hard metal bars of their cage can cause brain damage and misaligned teeth. Excessive bar chewing can cause the brain to become misaligned, in turn causing brain damage. Likewise, chewing the bars can cause a hamster's teeth to break, misaligning them. Misaligned teeth will need regular trimming to keep them at the proper length. If a hamsters teeth break off, they will be different lengths. Left untreated, they will grow up into the brain, eventually killing the hamster. Bar chewing is sometimes caused by boredom, so take plenty of time to play with your hamster, and provide plenty of toys. Swap the toys around regularly to stop your hamsters' environment from becoming monotonous. As an alternative to chewing the bars, you might try providing fruit tree branches (make sure they have not been treated with pesticides) or wooden chews. However, many hamsters will not want to chew on the wood. As an alternative to wooden chews, many hamsters prefer to chew on unflavoured dog biscuits. If, even after all this, your hamster still continues to chew on the cage bars, it is in your hamsters' best interests to move it to a barless or aquarium type cage to stop the problem"


I have had in excess of 30 hamsters. They chewed on the bars. We never had a problem with their teeth breaking. The hammies always had plenty of other things to chew on....even little dog biscuits.

Answer 2

I would try putting spray on the bars such as vinegar or use a spray for ferrets and dilute it 50/50 with water. If the chewing is annoying put the hamster in another room at night. Or get a cage that doesn't have bars to chew or bars that are vertical rather then horizontal.

Answer 3

Rodents chew because their teeth never stop growing. They have to chew hard objects to wear them down so the wont get too big for them to eat. They sell blocks at the pet store that is made just for that. Get him a few of them to chew on and he'll probably leave the bars alone.

Answer 4

Honestly, I had the best success with dog biscuits- like the hard cookie like bone shaped dog biscuits. Nothing that's coated in gravy, or has rawhide on it, or a chewy center. Just regular old "Milk Bones".

They have protein in them, which is healthy for them, and they're hard enough that chewing them wears down the teeth.

I have -never- owned a hamster that liked chewing those wood blocks they sell at the store. I have 14 ham's now, and have had 6 others besides these, at different times. Not one liked those wooden blocks.

Answer 5

30 seconds it's for his teeth. if longer, it's because he's bored and wants out. it is NOT NORMAL to chew for more than 30 seconds---it's obsessive---like the animals that pace at the zoo. sometimes a bigger or added cage will do the trick but most of the time u have to get a hamster ball for them to run in. use tape on the lid because they pop open. let them run til they stop---make sure u r around cuz as i said the lid can pop open---just listen for him u dont have to watch. then put him back and if hes had enough he wont chew again--if he wants more he'll start back--then u can just let him run some more. my girl runs for about 2-3 hrs with hourly water/food breaks. i know when shes had enough because she doesnt chew and goes to bed. they r used to running in the wild for 5-6 miles and they want this freedom. this is safe freedom. get him a ball---$5 at petstore or even walmart. the best ones have screws in them---mines from meijer. he'll then just chew to let u know he's ready to get out.

what time does yours wake up in the evening? this is when u will have to let him out or early morning. i go to bed at 1am so mine runs from 10am-1am with breaks every hr. my other one is blind so shes not nocturnal & runs in the day.

do make sure he has chew sticks(mine use tiny greenies dog biscuits) & give him the toliet paper rolls and even plain, dye-free toilet tissue---scott. he does need these for his teeth. but i'm telling u that's not why he's chewing when it lasts over 30 seconds & it won't make him stop. if u can add a 2nd wheel that helps too because my youngest wants to run all night but cant when i go to bed so she has 3 wheels to choose instead.

it can cause brain damage & misaligned teeth when excessive so why not use this easy fix?

Answer 6

Plastic Habitat

Answer 7

buy chews for them they need to gwan on somethin to keep their teeth from overgrowin...
you could get them in any pet store there about 2-5 dollars.

Answer 8

Give her a block of that green alfalfa(sp?) stuff to chew on.

Answer 9

buy her things to chew on like wooden blocks

Answer 10

try putting some wood to knaw on they clean their teeth by knawing ...they love sticks with bark ...make sure it is insectide free....wood would be quieter...