I have had her for 2 months now and the past few weeks she has just wanted to chew at her cage.. I have a running ball and some chewie goodies... she alslo has a ball she can run around in... is this a problem? Im afraid she is upset with her home.
2007-02-10 17:45:25 · 7 answers · asked by Bell 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Your hamster is trying to chew her way out of her cage. Hamsters by nature are not meant to be caged or confined (I'm not saying they should all be freed, you just need to understand their behavior). Even if the hamster was to living in a 8' x 10' cage she would still try to chew to get out. It is their nature.
You may try giving your hamster toilet paper and paper towel rolls to see if that will distract her, though I don't they will completely eliminate the problem.
The wire cages really aren't that great for any small animals for just this reason. It's a constant torture to see and smell the "outside" just on the other side of the bars. It is only natural instinct to try to get out of what is confining them. The best solution would be to buy a new glass or plastic cage. She will still try to get out but she will do it by digging in the corners. She will also try to climb the water bottle so look for the specific kind of water bottle that is climb-proof and chew-proof. Lixit manufactures these.
A new cage is not the solution that you want but that's the only way to stop the bar chewing. Also excessive bar chewers are prone to a condition called bar rub. They will wear the fur away where the bars hit their face. In obsessive chewers, the hair loss will be permanent and they could begin cutting into their skin causing sores. If you see an signs of bar rub you need to get her a new home immediately. There was another question two weeks ago from a girl whose hamster chewed the bars to the point of making its mouth bleed.
There are always suggestions of putting things onto the bars to deter the hamster but I would not recommend anything of these as they can cause problems if ingested.
-Janice
http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com
2007-02-12 05:42:00 · answer #1 · answered by radiocricket 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes it is when excessive. it can cause misaligned and broken teeth which makes it difficult to eat properly.
ideally she needs a bigger cage. she wants out cuz she's bored. people think 10 gal cages or those other small plastic ones are fine but they aren't unless u have 2 or more attached.
how long do u let her run in her ball? let her run in her ball every night for hours while u r up. (put tape on the lid!)mine run from the time they get up usually around 8pm til i go to bed. i put her back every hour of course for a water break & she chews when she's ready to run again. chewing is their way of saying "im bored!" they will chew when they want out & stop after they get enough runtime. while it may not stop chewing entirely, it will decrease a lot if they get to use the ball. if u have the cages with tubes, u can connect 2 cages & that will sometimes satisfy them-mostly older ones. 1 cage is just too small. also before u go to bed, hide her food in different spots in the cage rather than in 1 bowl. she'll enjoy the hunt after her run.
u do have a wheel in the cage right?
2007-02-11 04:13:03 · answer #2 · answered by galaxygurl 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most hamsters chew on their cages. This may be because they want to get out or because they need to chew on something so that their teeth will not grow to be extremely long. Most pet stores sell small chips of wood safe for rodents to chew on. I would suggest buying a a couple and seeing if that makes a difference.
2007-02-10 17:53:16 · answer #3 · answered by wrtrchk 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my hamster does a similar element ... its via boredom incredibly, get her out of her cage greater, positioned her in an exercising ball and permit her run around some rooms of the domicile (for approximately 30-40 5 an afternoon/another day) she'll maximum probable sleep greater if she has greater exercising, so she wont be chewing the bars as plenty. do no longer provide her to many toys in her cage, she'll basically replace into bored with them. provide her one, then after a week take it out and alter it for yet another toy. shop doing a similar element and it is going to maintain her occupied. wish this facilitates.
2016-11-03 03:17:30 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the cage has paint on it or has cooper or certain other metals, then yes, it is a problem. Get some of your "chewie goodies" and a glass cages for your poor little hamster. :)
2007-02-10 17:54:25 · answer #5 · answered by Jackson R 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no my hamster did the same thing but after a while stopped... its mayb not used 2 it or trying 2 chew its way out... nothing big..only the noise it makes...holy crap but other wise don mind nothin wrong wit it....
2007-02-10 17:51:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well my hamsters does that too. I guess it's a normal thing. But maybe your hamster needs a exericise wheel.
2007-02-10 17:54:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋