Saturday, May 22, 2010

Is there any harm to hamster biting the cage? How to stop it?

My hamster keeps biting the cage even though I leave a lot of those wood for her in the cage. I don't want to buy another cage.
Is it gonna damage my hamster's health in any way and how can I get her to stop it?
Answers:
Regardless to what some people will write, hamsters do not chew the bars of a cage to grind their teeth down The diet they live on, such as nuts, seeds and cereal already do that for them. They do it because they are bored and want to get out.
There has been reports that excess chewing of the bars can cause brain damage in hamsters, so it is vital to stop her from doing this.
Hang a hamster cereal chew bar in her cage, and invest in fruit flavoured wood. But most importantly when you see her chewing the bars, take her out the cage and let her tire herself out in her exercise ball.
no bless the poor little critter he is only trying to escape, his teeth grow throughout his life
The hamster is just probably chewing down their teeth. They do that so their teeth doesn't get too big were they can't eat or drink. Try using wood logs they sell at pet stores or toilet paper rolls. My hamster does the same exact thing. Trust me, my mom is a vet.
Put a edible non poinsons (think of one) then make sure it taste bad and put on the bars daily and the taste will force the hamster to stop.
They do that because their teeth grow all the time they are just trying to shorten them. There is some sticks at a pet store you can but for them to bite on that instead.
try getting her a grinder done at the pet store
She's just chewing to grind down her teeth...
You may not want to stop it...
IF thats the only thing she chews on then let her do it...
If you know that she chews on other things such as the wood pieces then you can try to use some bitter apple...it's made for dogs and cats...you can get it at PetSmart...
Put a TINY bit of it on the bars of the cage...you only need a VERY small amount.
Spray some on your fingers and rub them on the bars of the cage...then when she chews on it it's going to leave a very bad taste in her mouth and she wont chew on the bars anymore...
But make sure she's chewing on all the other stuff before you do it...
HOPE THIS HELPS...GOOD LUCK!
They do that when they are bored. You can get the critter a bigger cage with a lot of tubes.That works. You can do what I do which is buy them a 10 gallon or 20 gallon long aquarium %26 buy a top for it (Of course.) %26 give them a wheel %26 Dog biscuits (hams LOVE to chew on peanut butter flavored dog biscuits!!) small amounts of fresh fruits %26 veggies %26 pay at least 30 mins playing with your ham every day!
I wish you luck!
It doesn't matter. chewing the cage will help your hamster's teeth because their teeth keep on growing
ok if its a plastic cage like crittertrail he will eventually bite through it..if it metal your good.
i wouldnt stop her bcuz it is really good for her teeth. You want her to do that bcuz if she doesnt wear down her teeth they can get huge and even grow out through her lip. It happened to my brothers :(
nahhh .. dont make it stop .. its grinding down its teeth so that it doesnt grow long and go through the bottom part of its lip .but you could get it carrots and different foods to make it stop .. over night while your trying to sleep ..or something .
just give the cage to your hamster. mine does it. i blow him,but he doesn't stop and i realize that their teeths are growing! and I'm scared if they grow very long and bit me! ouch!!
tip/s: if you really don't want him to bite his cage,then give him a plastic toy that he may chew.(ex. a plastic house) or your toys that you think they love!(if you have any).
its OK. with a master like you, she will have a good health. for you! coz it looks like you really love him!
theirs really nothing wrong with it they just need to chew.if you want to stop it give them wood chews and chew toys, some root vegies and chew sticks with food on them.some hamsters just do that to and evertually u do get used to the sound (i sleep with a guinea pig in my room..now i can sleep without chewing:P)
Don't worry, your little hammie is doing that because she is bored...
Does she have any toys in her cage? Maybe you should let her out more, or buy her new toys...I don't think it can really affect your hamster...I would suggest a hamster wheel or a ball so that she can roll around in your room without being able to escape...( If you don't already have them...) You can also try putting cotton balls in her cage...I do that with my hamster, and he doesn't eat them, he tears it with his teeth and claws, then uses it as a kind of nest...
Just make sure that she doesn't actually break or do a hole in her cage...Hope that helped you !
my hamsters used to do that at night i think theywere just bored even though they have plenty of chew things and toys.most hamsters do this . we finally bought an aquarium style home for our hamsters with plenty of ventilation of course from the lid and no more noisey cage biting. I know you said you didn't want to buy another cage but these glass homes are only about$12 lid included
he is trying to get out. they sell flavored/seasoned/baked stick things. my hamster won't chew on any of his things except for those, and they bring their teethe down.
she is probably just filing down her front teeth. is her cage large enough?
let him chew away, it feels good to them ,no harm
It's very common- my hamster used to do it. If your hamster is pretty new, it may be stressed and confused, resulting in biting the bars. It's not trying to escape, though. You can stop it by gently talking to her, and petting her. Handle her regularly.
they all chew on the bars on their cage its like a prisoner standing at the door of their cell looking out lol!
It sounds like she is a combination of bored, lonely or really wants some time out of her cage. She would maybe enjoy being held and gently scratched behind her little ears or along her back. If you have a small hamster-proof room that you could take her to and the two of you spend time together, that would be good. It might not stop the behavior, but you and Hammi would both enjoy it. Hamsters love carrots, and some people, like me, make rodent cookies. It's a mashed banana, some peanut butter, a little wheat germ, no more than a tablespoon of brown sugar, and enough quick oats to make a cookie, then bake until they are firm. You could also string cheerios on a string and hang it in the cage so she could eat them off. The wheel, rolling ball and tubes will stimulate her brain and distract her from the constant chewing. See if she will cuddle in your sleeve or learn to sit on your shoulder. Most critters do get bored. Have fun with her.
no it wont hurt her but get some little flavored treats for her
that will make her happy

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