Why do hamsters knaw the bars of a cage, and how can i stop it?

Answer 1

Contrary to what many people believe, hamsters do not chew on the cage bars to grind their teeth down. If they wanted to grind their teeth down, they would chew on something plastic, not the wire bars.

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. If the cost of a new cage is a concern, here is something new that many breeders, including myself, are using:
http://www.geocities.com/calhamassoc/FeatureBin.html

There are always suggestions of putting things onto the bars or to cover the cage with a towel/blanket to deter the hamster but I would not recommend anything of these as they can cause problems, possibly death, if ingested. There are only a few kinds of fibers that a hamster can safely ingest and any synthetics are not one of them. These days many blankets and fabrics (including pipe cleaners, it's distressing this is what the pet store has recommended) have synthetics in them so just a few nibbles can cause intestinal blockage, leading to a painful death.


-Janice
http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com

Answer 2

A lot of people will tell you this is because they need to keep their teeth worn down. However this is not entirely why they knaw.

More often than not they are bored and want to be busy. because syrians are a desert animal, in the wild they would have had to run up to 8 miles per night to gather food. Hence their exercise on the wheel.

WHen you do the next cage clean, my advice is to re-arrange the layout of the cage, and buy chew blocks form the pet shop. I reccoment a wooden log,which can be bought from any good pet shop,whith holes round the side. or a 'chube' an chewable giant toilet roll-best way to describe.

Hide chunks of carrot (raw) round the cage this is entertainment for them and good for their teeth.

hope I helped!!

Answer 3

They could be bored and get into the habit of knawing on the bars. Give the hamster something else to knaw on, such as wood knaws from the pet shop and makde sure they have plenty to do, to prevent them from getting bored.

Answer 4

they chew to wear down the front teeth which grow all the time. If they don't wear them down, they will get where they can not eat.

They make several things for hamsters and guinea pigs to gnaw. Check a pet store. We gave our guinea pig little wood blocks. The were in the cage at all times. This generally worked to keep them from gnawing. He would chew on the cage when he wanted something to eat, but that's it.

If you are feeding it enough, I'd get some of the things they make for them to gnaw on and tie it inside the cage. This will keep it cleaner than just throwning it on the bedding.

Answer 5

They gnaw the bars on their cages to sharpen their teeth, hamsters teeth keep on growing so they have to do something to keep them low

You dont need to stop it, if you are not happy with that give the hamster some gnawing treats as a diversion

Answer 6

Small rodents have teeth that grow constantly, so they need things to chew on to grind their teeth down. I can understand you don't want them destroying their cage, but keep in mind too that the covering on the wire isn't good for them to ingest. You can get a wide variety of chew toys at pet stores. There is also pet food available that comes in hard blocks that satisfies their need to chew. There's no need to switch to this kind of food completely (especially if your hamsters like the food you give them!) but adding in a few of these blocks to their regular food can do wonders. Good luck!

Answer 7

They chew the bars when they get bored. Try giving your hamster some new toys. Or when you clean the cage out rearrange everything in it.

Answer 8

hamsters knaw in order to keep their teeth at a certain level as they constantly grow. Place wooden toys and give raw vegetables such as carrots this should help.

Answer 9

My hamster always chews the bars, even when the cage door is open. As others have said, they must be trimming their teeth and not trying to escape.

Answer 10

My hamster used to do this... its usually because they are bored or they just want a chew on something...... just make sure your hamster has a whhel in its cage and some toys, and it will probally stop doing it. If it dosent there is no need to worry!! x