Where People & Piggies Thrive

Newbie or Guinea Guru? Popcorn in!

Register for free to enjoy the full benefits.
Find out more about the NEW, drastically improved site and forum!

Register

How can I get my hamster to stop biting the cage for hours each day!?! :[

Mr. Pig

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
May 28, 2012
Posts
107
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
107
I did not know anywhere else to put this thread so sorry.

But I have had my hamster since December and she is so cute! I got her two cages that are connected to eachother its a paradise in there! But my hamster tends to bite the cage for atleast 5 or more hours starting at night shes been doing this for like 2 months now :[ I feel bad why does she keep biting it!
 

Mastershroom

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Posts
843
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
843
Never had hamsters, but do they have anything else to chew on? Fruit twigs or something?
 

Mr. Pig

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
May 28, 2012
Posts
107
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
107
Never had hamsters, but do they have anything else to chew on? Fruit twigs or something?

Thanks for responding... Since she is kept in my room its the MOST annoyingist sound I've EVER heard... And it never stops.. :[ And yes she does have hard things to chew on but decides to ignore them.. so she would rather go bite the metal cage wire and risk breaking her teeth,,
 

littledinobug

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Posts
362
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
362
Sounds like she's bored tbh. I had a gerbil that did this..and yes it is so annoying. But it was a sure sign of boredom. Try to add more tunnels and little caches of seeds for him to find...stimulate the senses...oh and both Hamsters and Gerbils are nocturnal...or at least are most active at dawn and dusk...
 

scruffytufty

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 18, 2012
Posts
427
Joined
Mar 18, 2012
Messages
427
its quite normal its for their teeth, yes its annoying but i had some wood treats for mine and she wouldnt eat it so i rubbed the hamster chocolate drops on it and she wen mad for it! just a thought but its normal anyway
 

abi.25

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Posts
140
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
140
let her out in your room or in a ball, we've got 2 hamsters and after theyve been out for a run for a couple of hours they either play on their wheel or go to bed:)
 

PetsRLife23

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
May 10, 2012
Posts
69
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
69
I did not know anywhere else to put this thread so sorry.

But I have had my hamster since December and she is so cute! I got her two cages that are connected to eachother its a paradise in there! But my hamster tends to bite the cage for atleast 5 or more hours starting at night shes been doing this for like 2 months now :[ I feel bad why does she keep biting it!

Like guinea pigs hamsters need "floor time" although a ball is okay to use, I found that my hamsters in the past loved to run around on the floor. To do this safely I bought 2 hamster playpens and connected them. Then I put a lot of things in there for them to play with. Hiding treats in stuff is always fun for them to find and try to get. I don't recommend floor time everyday though as I noticed it would sometimes stress them out. Start of doing it for 20 minutes before bed to tire her out. If she likes being held try interacting with her more.

Also don't give too many treats. I had my hamsters on strict diets. I used oxbow healthy handfuls i think it's called as their main diet and added a few sunflower seeds. I would buy Hazel/Harry hamster food and use that as a treat as it is the best seed food on the market, but I took out the corn (This is an okay food to feed if you can't get oxbow). Hazelnuts are always hours of fun for them trying to break it open. Sometimes smashing it a little to start it for them is best. Don't give those too often. Freeze dried meal worms are a favorite for them, but again only in moderation. Anyways if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. :)
 

Ithilgil

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Posts
287
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Messages
287
I agree with the floor time idea. My hammie would start chewing on the cage and trying to get out (I call this his I-must-escape mood) whenever he gets restless. So, I let him run around in my room in his hamster ball. When he seems to have calm down, I put him back in. Sometimes, he starts biting the cage again, so I'd just let him run around my room once more until he calm down. I do this until he stops biting the cage.
 

beachgurl_1988

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Oct 9, 2011
Posts
285
Joined
Oct 9, 2011
Messages
285
My hamster chews on her cage either to get my attention or when she is bored. I try to let her in her ball at least 2 or 3 times a week, and she has a silent spinner wheel she loves (best investment ever!!)

I read somewhere that chewing like that on thier cage bars can like, give them brain damage? Don't know. I tend to keep some wooden things in the cage and also got some 'apple sticks' that they tear up in a heartbeat.

Do you have a kabob to put treats on? That was a good purchase for me, I had my Dad find me a drill bit the same size as the rod and practically everything I buy her I drill a hole thru so she can't just stuff it up in her cage..determined little cuss she is. :)

Mine like to chew up dog biscuits, the fruit/seed sticks. Try giving her a whole peanut, mine love cracking them open!
 

amiamiami

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Jul 19, 2012
Posts
39
Joined
Jul 19, 2012
Messages
39
Put some chew sticks in her cage. Your hamster probably needs attention
 

mommy4kids

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Jun 22, 2012
Posts
96
Joined
Jun 22, 2012
Messages
96
What kind of hamster do you have? If you have a teddy bear hamster from everything I have read and finding a forum like this one for them they need more continued floor space than the smaller tanks can give them.
We have 2 and one is in a 65 gallon tank and a small cage connected and the other is in 3 small cages that all connect. I have to let him out daily or he will bite his cage. I do floor time in a large plastic bin and he runs in his ball for an hour on the floor.
I hope this helps. If not I dont know.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.

Similar threads

Top