Sudden Desperate Bar Chewing Habit!

[Holly]

Originally Posted by souffle

Best get him out Holly and check him over. Any change in behaviour needs checked just in case. Try and check his teeth as if he has broken one on the bars he may be having trouble eating.

I managed to coax him out with half a yoghurt drop which he ate with gusto and I got a look at his teeth which seem ok. He's active enough in the cage running on the wheel and snuffling around so I think he's ok. Only thing is that he wouldn't climb into his ball - however he is used to having a run in the ball in the mornings so that might be nothing.

I'll see what he's like in the morning, hopefully he's just having a strop and will be back to normal tomorrow.

[souffle]

Probably it is because he does not have the cage door he is used to coming out of so it may take him a while to get used to coming out another door. Thay are creatures of habit it seems!

[Holly]

Originally Posted by souffle

Probably it is because he does not have the cage door he is used to coming out of

I think you are right - he has been out first thing this morning and, once he realised it was not where it usually is, he climbed into the ball quite happily and had a run around. I've also had a cuddle and a little play with him - stair climbing, his new favourite - and he was fine so I think he's forgiven me for now

It was another quiet night on the bar chewing front - I can't believe he hasn't taken to the bars on the big cage but, so far, he hasn't!

[Emms]

Wow! His cage is amazing, I wouldn't like to be there cleaning out day though
I'm glad is bar chewing is improving, Twinkle chews her bars when she wants to be cuddled.

Emma x

[Holly]

Unfortunately Mocha has now started on the main cage - last night at 3am the noise was so unbearable that, after a couple of hours of it, I had to block off his access to the main cage until morning ...I felt very guilty but he looked like he was starting to wear at the fur on his nose ...plus I've been ill and just had to get some sleep.

As I'm now concerned about the fur I think I'm going to have to change the wire cage ...I'm going to look at a Gabber Lux as soon as I feel better as it seems to be a simillar size to the wire cage he has but without the *garden* bit blocked off so, if I can attach it to the Rotastak (which he still sleeps in and seems quite attached to), he'll actually have more space with no bars to gnaw at. Unfortunately I don't have much money at this point in time so it might have to wait a week or two, though I hope I'll be able to get a bit of it back by selling the wire cage on ebay.

I can't believe it as the hamster cages were a major effort and I was so pleased with them ...oh well, at least the other two don't seem to be bar chewing.

[souffle]

There's always one. You must get some sleep Holly to get yourself well again. Move him downstairs right now Get some card woven through his chew points. They can still chew the roof bars if they stand on the platform of a Gabber Lux so if he is that keen he may do it still. Think about a clear bin and try and work our a set up in this. They have some nice big totally clear ones in our Morrisons just now for £4.99. If you could get someone to cut holes in the plastic you might be able to feed the tubes into one of those and the put a wire mesh lid on. As they are quite high he should not be able to climb up there. Seal the tubes on with duck tape. Its worth a try. Be careful cutting the plastic as it can crack easily.

[Holly]

Thanks for the advice, Souffle - I actually bought a Gabber Lux cage for Mocha yesterday before reading this (as we've both been ill and don't feel like eating much I simply economised on our weekly food shop!). I've attached it to his Rotastak and dispensed with the trianglular pod as the Lux gives him about twice as much floor space as he had with the other wire cage anyway:



He seems to like it, the wodent wheel fits perfectly and I didn't hear a thing last night

I have looked at building bin cages before but have come to the conclusion that I don't have the tools or the skill to do it by myself which is a shame as I've seen a massive clear storage box in Wilkinsons which would do the job to perfection.

But I'm not so bothered now I've discovered the Gabber cages - I can see that the larger Rex would be a fabulous home for a Syrian hamster without fannying around with extensions etc. I would have saved myself a lot of money as they are very reasonable for the floor space they provide. I only wish I'd discovered them before we got any of the hamsters!!!

[SnuggleHam]

Great cage setup solution Holly! It looks like lots of fun with plenty of room, and no way to have bar chewing! Im sure your hammy loves it!

[Holly]

Originally Posted by SnuggleHam

Great cage setup solution Holly! It looks like lots of fun with plenty of room, and no way to have bar chewing! Im sure your hammy loves it!

Thanks SnuggleHam - on the whole it's great and I'm really pleased with it - Mocha seems to like it as well. However, twice now, I've caught him chewing on the little bars in the middle Rotastak unit ...he doesn't seem to do it much, certainly not like he used to in his big wire cage but my heart sank when I saw him.

Is a small amount of chewing a problem? Is it likely to develop into a regular habit (*dreading the answer*)??

I really don't want to change the Rotastak - it's where he sleeps and he seems to enjoy going through the tubes to the different levels (I also think I've spent enough on his cages ). I was reading a book which mentioned a gel that you can smear on the bars - it apparently doesn't harm hammies but they hate the taste of it - does anyone know anything about this? It was an American book and the stuff was called bitter-something, I think.

Does anyone know if this a) exists b) works and c) is safe?

Another thought I had was that I could get a narrow strip of wire mesh and attach this over the circular wire part to prevent him pushing his nose through - good idea or not?

PS Tinsel, our *holiday ham* is also in a Rotastak cage (it is a large one with a couple of extensions) and I've noticed he's constantly chewing on that same spot ....I'll have to speak to my friend when she gets back as I've been worrying about his teeth, he grips the bars so violently. I think part of the problem with him is boredom - I've noticed that he doesn't use his wheel (well I've never seen him on it)...possibly because it's the Rotastak one and it's too small and uncomfortable for him?

[souffle]

I think that once a chewer always a chewer and if he is only doing it a little Holly I would leave him be. I have never used or seen any of the gels you mention but I really don't think it would be terribly good as you would need quite a bit to smear all the bars and then they might injest quite a bit as you would need to constantly apply it. They would probably then get used to it. Keep checking he is OK in the cheek, teeth and fur dept and don't worry. Pawsy still chews his roof bars if we forget the the tiles so they dont really forget about it it seems. He is fine though. Red stopped altogether and hasn't chewed in the Gabber though she has nibbled a ladder She wa a mad chewer in a bar cage!