Bar Chewing

[BorisPasha]

I've just used strips of cardboard from toilet roll tubes and kitchen roll tubes and weaved it through the bars (Boris is the only one who has ever bar-chewed but he's an attention seeker), I've also tried justting them along the join so that they look spirally (if you know what I mean) and weaved them through.

Maybe Drago will have some better suggestions so sorry for jumping in on your question to her

[Jeir]

My hamster has the same cage, and I've had him for a little over a month. He did chew the bars for a while after I got him, ignoring the actual chew toys I have for him, but did eventually get bored of that and focused on digging and his wheel

But, he started up again the past couple of days. I think it may be due to the stupidly hot weather we have in the UK right now. Like you, not even blocking where he mainly chews works, as he just moves elsewhere, even if it means climbing to the top of the bars. Also like you, I don't want to spend money on a tank cage after getting the Plaza...especially as in my case, Fluff (and Squish, my egg-shaped fluffy robo) will be the last hamster I have for some time, so don't want even more cages around that will go unused.

He was very restless yesterday (and Sunday is cleaning day, so I did that while he was up...getting bitten three times for my efforts, and he also destroyed his extendable tube bridge), spent a lot of time last night chewing, keeping me up until gone half five (because I kept getting out of bed to poke his nose/distract him/put something on the bars to keep him away from them), and was still chewing when I got up around 10am. I'm just glad I'm on holiday right now.

Hopefully the behaviour will cease once the temperature gets back to normal. =/

[AprilPearl]

Thanks Amity, BP. I'll have a look around for suitable cardboard. How should I go about attaching it? I used up pretty much all of the sisal rope attaching the bendy bridges. Maybe I could fold the cardboard through the bars or something?

Jeir, good to know I'm not alone! Interesting theory about the weather. I wonder if that could be it - hadn't occurred to me before.

I'm hoping so much that it's either down to him not being old enough for a wheel yet and he will stop in 3 weeks when he is 9 weeks old and gets his wheel. Would also be fine if it's a temperature thing as that won't last forever either.

If not... Looks as though there may be a Plaza complete with wooden platforms up for sale soon. Sigh. I love the cage, but if Quigley doesn't...

[Jeir]

To be honest, I'm thinking more and more than the heat definitely isn't helping. Too hot to play means boredom, and hamsters have a tendency to chew bars when they're very bored, even with ample toys in the cage to chew. It also doesn't help that my room is the hottest in the house (29*C with the curtains closed ;.; until I put the air con on, anyway) and my hammy has very thick soft fur (he's part chinchilla, I'm sure).

Do what you can to help cool him down and see if that helps settle him. If possible, you could invest in a portable air con unit if you don't have one already. Even if it's only used a few times a year, it's a big help in keeping rooms cool (especially in London where the temp is usually several degrees higher than the rest of the country). The one I have is about the size of a large bag of Fitch, and works well. My room temp's dropped three degrees since I turned it on about an hour ago, and my hams got used to the noise quickly.

As for the cardboard, you can use toilet paper/kitchen towel tubes, and just wind it through the bars. I think even paper or something pressed against the outside of the bars would do it, as it would make it harder getting the snout through the bar spaces.

Also on the wheel; I've always given my hamsters a wheel straight away, and never had issues in the 15 years and 20 hamsters I've cared for. I think what was talked about before is just a very, very rare occasion, as hamsters tend to know when to stop when they get tired. In fact, the 'not giving a wheel until they're 2+ months old' thing is something I've only heard of a couple of times, and only recently.

[sophiedoe]

Have you tried clipping plain wooden clothes pegs to the bars? It is recommended on the Bar Chewing thread, I'm also having problems and it is the last thing I have left to try - I haven't done it sooner because the shop didn't have any in, but I managed to get some today. I am going to put some on tonight and see if it helps. My ham mostly chews in one area though, if Quigley is chewing in lots of places it might be more tricky, but you could try adding some in various places as a distraction/something else to chew.

[Pebbles82]

In would just cut up tissue boxes or similar thin cardboard panels and prop them up round the bars. The cardboard itself may get chewed then instead.

[AprilPearl]

Thanks Jeir. Here's hoping you're right about the heat and he will stop when it gets cooler - your ham too. I'll have a go with the cardboard too.

I know that it is 99.99% likely that giving a pup a wheel won't result in it dropping dead. But, that's before you take into account the fact that said pup's owner is me and I have terrible bad luck. If something bad can happen to me, you can bet that it will. So, factoring me into the equation, Quigley Wouk do have pretty much a 100% chance of dropping dead after I gave him a wheel

Sophiedoe I haven't tried the clothes pegs. I wasn't sure if they were safe. To be honest, I'd worry about the wire in the hinge bit coming out and getting stuck in an eye or pouch or something. That's probably just me being neurotic, though. Also, they wouldn't covet much area. Quigley was only chewing in specific places... Until I blocked them off. Now, he has moved to others. I think he will always find some bare bars, so long as he is in a barred cage hope you have more success than I seem to be having!

Serendipity, would the shiny coloured stuff on the outside of a tissue box be safe? I'd worry about it getting ingested.

[Drago]

Wooden clothes pegs do work well sometimes. Many bar chewers I know do great with them, and prefer chewing them rather than the metal bars. As long as you replace the pegs before they get too decimated, you won't have to worry. If you don't feel comfortable giving him a wheel yet, don't. You should only do what you're comfortable with, and besides, he will be alright without it. You may prefer to offer it for several minutes before you go to sleep just so he can get his energy out without the risks, but again, only if you're 100% comfortable with that. The shiny colored stuff on tissue boxes (to my knowledge) is tin, and should be avoided. Cereal boxes, shipping boxes, and cardboard display folds are what I use as cardboard for my hams

[AprilPearl]

Thanks Drago. He had the wheel for 5 minutes in his playpen today, maybe that will have tired him out! So, even cardboard such as cereal boxes, which have coloured pictures on them, are ok? I wasn't sure whether the ink would be safe.

[BorisPasha]

I'd be careful with the wooden pegs AP. I'd put some on Boris's cage and he flicks them around when he's wanting your attention and it can be quite loud and I know Quigley is in your room I think for the bars I'd be inclined just to use plain cardboard as he'll likely chew it when he's trying to get to the bars. I do have cereal/tissue/tea boxes etc in their cages as little hide outs (Pasha uses one as a pantry lol) but they've never ever chewed but every hamster is different so you may want to to avoid the coloured/shiny stuff for now.

I thought I had a picture with how I'd weaved them on to show you but I can't find it at the moment so I'll have another look (I have so many pictures of them it's silly lol).

Here's a thread that souffle started in 2013 about using household boxes which you might find helpful Hamster toys and accessories from recycled household items thread

Originally Posted by Drago

The shiny colored stuff on tissue boxes (to my knowledge) is tin, and should be avoided.

Just read Drago's post there and I didn't realise this and there is shiny bits on most of their boxes, now I'll start panicking even though they've never chewed them :S