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Old 06-01-2019, 08:28 AM   #31
Mahavo
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Default Re: Managing Bar Chewers

Sorry to reply to an old thread!

I joined this forum today just to reply my results after seeing this thread a week ago!

My little Pixel is a bar chewer and even with all the toys/boredom breakers i buy and plus she has a 12inch wheel and a Hamster Heaven she continued!

This thread really helped me get to the bottom of the pesky bar chewing and she hasn't chewed in a couple of days now! I think it was down to getting her out when chewing or giving her attention for it! Oops silly me for rewarding a habbit!

Thank you to the OP for this post it has really helped!
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Old 06-29-2020, 09:06 AM   #32
HammyLover76
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Default Re: Managing Bar Chewers

That is some good information but bar chewing is a sign of stress so if your hamster is bar chewing then upgrade your cage. The bare minimum for cages is 450 square inches of floor space. If you can't afford something like a 40 gallon tank or larger, bin cages can be a great, cheap option but you would have to make a mesh lid which there are a lot of videos on how to make a bin cage.
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Old 06-29-2020, 12:33 PM   #33
Fluffagrams
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Default Re: Managing Bar Chewers

Quote:
Originally Posted by HammyLover76 View Post
That is some good information but bar chewing is a sign of stress so if your hamster is bar chewing then upgrade your cage. The bare minimum for cages is 450 square inches of floor space. If you can't afford something like a 40 gallon tank or larger, bin cages can be a great, cheap option but you would have to make a mesh lid which there are a lot of videos on how to make a bin cage.
Please note that this forum does not have a minimum recommended cage size and we encourage members to choose the most suitable cage for their own hamster's needs and personality.

There is no globally enforceable minimum for cage sizes and different countries will have their own standards as to what size is acceptable as a cage for permanant living.

As the original post has said, there are several reasons why a hamster may bar chew and owners may need to work to identify the cause before taking the most appropriate cause of action.
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Old 05-04-2021, 02:01 AM   #34
Juno99
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Default Re: Managing Bar Chewers

I adopted my hamster in December and I am unsure of how old she is. She is in a 100cm by 52cm cage (the biggest I could find at the time) but she chews the bars nearly all the time! I have tried everything suggested, she comes out everyday, has lots of enrichment, wheel works, lots of chews and hanging toys yet she never stops still.

Could this be habit from her previous owner keeping her in a small cage?
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Old 05-04-2021, 05:51 AM   #35
Dodo
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Default Re: Managing Bar Chewers

Yes it very well could be. I think once it becomes a habit, it is hard to kick, unless you go for a barless cage. If there is a specific corner/spot when she chews, you could stick chews between the bars or cover it with straw panels. Is she doing is when you're not there as well, or to get your attention? Or all the time? Is she stressed out beyond this behaviour?
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Old 08-30-2021, 02:12 PM   #36
Chicleteer
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Default Re: Managing Bar Chewers

My new female Syrian (Daisy) climbs up near the top of her cage and chews bars quite a bit. She is in a 32" x 18" Pet Prevue cage (576 sq inches), has an 11-inch Silent Runner, a multi-chambered Niteangel hidey house, and as many toys and hanging wooden chewy things as I can fit in while giving her some maneuvering room. I do try to change things up, although I haven't done so every day. However, each day she gets 15-30 minutes in a "playpen" bin outside her usual cage, which also has a wheel, hidey, and chew toys.

She's about 3 1/2 months old, and I've had her for two months. She is far from tame (I can tell it's going to take a long time); she's very skittish. Last week I took her to the vet for her first visit, and especially asked the vet to check her teeth, because of all the chewing, and so far the teeth are fine. However, she screeched non-stop when the vet was holding her, and has never yet permitted me to hold her at all. She seems afraid of me, and I'm trying to ease her fears by talking to her quietly and laying my hand in her playpen, with a piece of nut on it, keeping very still, just to get her used to my hand. (She usually will take the nut and has even put her front paws on my hand to reach the nut, but if I make any move at all, she bolts off like a shot.)

I am prepared to move her to an aquarium-style glass cage if necessary, although I'm trying to avoid making such a major change if she will settle down and stop the chewing, and I'd prefer keeping the barred cage if possible. As far as her current cage size, it seems to fit within recommended parameters, and I've put in about 6 inches of substrate (which is how deep the cage base is), which she does burrow in. I'm hoping she's not reacting to the cage being inadequate.

Questions: Any suggestions on whether hamsters tend to grow out of this? Any thoughts about whether her fearful skittishness is related to the chewing, and whether that might ease up with time? And of course I'm unsure how much time to give this process, weighed against the prospect of her eventually damaging her teeth.

Any and all suggestions are welcomed and appreciated! Thanks.
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