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Old 10-14-2008, 03:09 AM  
souffle
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Yorkshire, UK but my heart lies in Scotland!
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Default Re: My Hamster and her cage bars

Treacle you simply may not be able to stop her. It is like an addiction and some hamsters will chew till they have rubbed their mouth and nose red raw and still not stop. Is she actually damaging her nose? If you cannot afford a new cage that has no bars I would suggest you try and limit access to the bars particularly at the areas where she chews the most. Get something like a plastic ice cream tub and cut it to the shape of the area so it covers as much of the bars as possible eg if its a corner cut this area out then use something like sandwich bag ties to attach it to the bars on the inside. She will then be unable to get her nose through to chew. You can also use weighted ceramic tiles on the roof bars to stop them pushing their noses through. Fix toys inplace against the bars to stop her getting her nose through using the plastic coated plant tie wire. You must give her an alternative place to expend her energy. Be sure her cage is large enough, the wheel is big enough for comfortable running, she has plenty to chew - old cardboard boxes with holes cut in, loo roll tubes, washed fruit tree branches she can trash and are disposable. Keep changing her toys and set up around. Dont fed her in a bowl, but hide and scatter her food so she has to forage for it. Don't put bedding in her house. Leave a pile out so she is kept busy moving it in to make a bed. Give her a takeaway box with chinchilla sand in to dig in. Sheets of kitchen roll are fun for her to rip up. There are loads of things you can do. Remember she is a rodent and it is her nature to chew and put yourself in her place. You would want attention if you were locked in a small bedroom all day would you not. If she is young she will likely settle as she matures too and chew less but give her lots of out time and interactive play with you. She may enjoy a run in a ball or stair climbing and scrambling on the bed and sofa.
If she is drooling a lot or having problems eating or has weight loss there could be an issue with her teeth which needs vet attention.
We currently have a hammy here for taming and when he came they said he chewed all the time. We immediatly changed his too small wheel and he has been here two weeks and never chewed since
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