at my wits end with bar chewing

[montysmum]

We recently moved monty to a much bigger cage because he was getting a bit cramped and starting to bar chew. Everything was ok for a couple of weeks but he's now started frantically bar chewing high up on one corner of his cage and also on his door. He really tries to squish his head through and it worries me so much .

To attempt to protect him I made a barrier out of cardboard which he promptly started chewing through. Then i put a hanging bird toy across that corner to try and restrict access but he just squeezes through it. I've now stuck a cardboard tube across one corner but he's pulling that down too

I feel like i'm doing something wrong but don't know what-he has chew toys, a large cage, cardboard toys, a good sized wheel, an hours playtime out every evening, i hide bits of food for him...and yet all he wants to do is climb up to the same bit and repetitively try and squeeze out. We have spent literally a couple of hundred trying to keep him happy, I'm so frustrated. To make it worse, he managed to open his cage door (and this is a rat cage) and then nipped me when I ran to save him from falling. When we go to bed I don't think he does it so much because we hear him on the wheel.

Basically I'm tired of worrying he'll get brain damage, I can't afford yet another cage and anyway I don't see how we could enrich his life any more than we are already-and all he wants to do is bar chew anyway he's sitting staring at where he chews now which makes me worry he's already got ill from doing it.

Anyone been in a similar situation? Advice would be appreciated as I'm totally confused as to why he is doing it

[Cupcake]

Provided your hammy really has everything he needs like a proper wheel so he can exercise and plenty of stimulation through chew toys I believe you could try using lemon juice. However, before you do so I recommend you try and understand what might have led to this behaviour? that usually sheds some light, maybe a recent escape adventure? if nothing comes to mind then lemon juice might be your last resort if moving the hammy into a tank or bin is not an option (btw bin cages cost very little and many members on here have bin cages)
You could try lemon juice on the bars in the corner he is chewing. don't use much though as hamsters and citrus don't really go together. So, start by squeezing a bit of lemon juice into a cup or using that juice that already comes in little yellow bottles. Take a brush, dip it in the juice and pass the brush over the areas where your hammy seems to be chewing the bars. Pass the brush only once, it should be enough.

Good luck xx

[Hammie1love]

Do you take him out? Maybe when he does that you can put him in the little running balls ? Maybe he is just saying he wants out for a bit.

[montysmum]

Thanks for the replies he comes out every evening to run without fail and then goes back in and starts the chewing. It's usually only when we're in the room so maybe it's for attention, I dunno. He absoluteky loves coming out of his cage as well, I think he'd be in his ball all night if we let him!

[souffle]

It becomes an obcession with some hamsters and they really do enjoy doing it. I have read it releases some sort of endorphins that give them a sense of satisfaction.
It can cause teeth damage and it would be worth getting something like a log bridge or the puzzle playground squares and wire tie them on to the corner to stop him getting there. Is the shelf movable as maybe you could make it so he can't reach. If you attach from the outside so he can't get his nose through to chew that sometimes works better.
Some hams do chew for attention as well so taking him out before he starts could work.
Turn the cage round 180 degrees and placing it elsewhere can confuse their orientation so they don't go chew.

[Gazmo]

I have the same problem with pumpkin, I got her a big cage and has everything she needs and more, is out constantly but she still insists

[pewmouse]

My new girl is a bar chewer, I got some little wooden chew toys that have some sort of fruit flavouring on them to try and redirect her chewing. I also try to rearrange and swap the toys in her cage every couple of days as she will then go off to explore rather than spending hours chewing. She does still chew occasionally but not frantically like she did at first. Another factor might be that my girl had never lived in a barred cage until I got her and it would have been a big change to her. Has your hammy always been in a barred cage?

I have just bought an Ikea Detolf which seem to be very popular for converting into hamster homes, my girl will move into this once it has been converted and we move to our new house. We got our Detolf second hand for £10 so maybe that would be an option for you if you don't see any improvement in the bar chewing soon?

[montysmum]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I will try moving the cage, although if I removed his shelf, he'd just scale the sides and carry on chewing regardless. I think I will have to find something stronger to block the places where he chews. It's frustrating when I make him activities and try and stop him from being bored and all he does is chew in that corner. He has to stop chewing I change his cage around, he has chew toys as well but all he did was pee on them then ignore them.

I thought he'd love his big, interesting cage but obviously not, argh. He lived in a tiny cage at the pet shop in direct sunlight with no shelter (I have reported them) and we could see he'd been frantically chewing then, so maybe it's a habit he's rediscovered.

he's awake dead on 9pm when we've managed to train him to wake and desperate to get in his ball rather than chew...I dunno, guess I have a lot to learn yet!

[pewmouse]

Maybe he just needs more time to settle in as it sounds like he had a rough start before he came to you. But you are doing everything right and he's very lucky to have found you, hang in there!

[TracyMM]

Hi, something someone suggested to me was -putting a wooden peg on the place where the hamster is chewing. I has such a bar biter that I vowed never again, despite loving the Hamster Heaven. Now have a Zoozone 2.

Not sure how the peg works -maybe they chew on that instead, which at least is QUIET and doesn't damage teeth -or maybe it just means they cannot get their teeth onto the actual bar. If they move to another area, you can put another peg on the bar at that point.

I use wooden clothes pegs and I think you need to be careful of the metal spring that holds them together -maybe try to get the ones made out of a single piece of wood.

Tracy x