My hamster bar chews and her barney cage is flimsy

[newtohammys]

She's still chewing and if it keeps up I may have to rehome her. I love her but I clearly can't afford to buy her a new cage every time she gets bored of the next one. She has a week to settle down then I'll just have no choice because if I can't sleep I can't work and there's no where else safe for her at night so its either she stops or I have to give her to someone who owns a chewer and knows how to handle her. I want her to have a long happy life so if I can't provide it then sadly she will have to go. I'll miss her but I guess sometimes you have to put your selfishness aside and give her a home that shell be happier in. 2 people in this house smoke so part of me thinks maybe that's what causes the bar chewing but idk she has a week let's pray she calms down before I start ripping my hair out.

[Fluffagrams]

Hamsters can bar chew for many reasons other than disliking the cage itself and sometimes it's a process of elimination to work out whick one it might be.

Aside from the cage itself, there may be something within the cage that she's not happy about such as moving a favourite toy, changing the substrate or something like a wheel or water bottle being difficult to use properly. You mentioned that you'd switched her onto a different substrate recently, it might be worth trying an alternative substrate to see if that helps. My hams love to make nests and tunnels with their substrate and if I use a substrate that doesn't allow them to do that as well as they'd like, it seems to affect their behaviour. You can check that the wheel spins freely and that the water bottle is working and at the right height for her.

The next thing to consider is what is outside the cage in the vicinity. On two occasions when I've had bar chewing the problems have been cused by something outside the cage. One was because I'd put the food container outside the cage and one of my hamsters became obesessed with trying to get at it. The other occasion it was a male hamster that was driving one of my girls crazy... a quick shuffle around of the cages soon stopped that. Other things to consider are things like air fresheners and electronics in close proximity to the cage. Electronics can often emit a buzzing or a hum that may be inaudible to us but some hamsters have been known to have been bothered by it.

The next thing to consider is whether your hamsters teeth are ok and whether she has plenty to chew on in the cage. I've often found that they don't chew those wooden things they sell in pet shops but will happily chew a dog biscuit or a dog chew (whimzees are the best option).

The next reasons are more of a behavioural trait and that is attention seeking. If you're often going over to her when she's chewing the bars of her cage to tell her to to stop or distract her with some food, she'll soon learn that she can use this to her advantage and the only solution here is to ignore them when they start chewing, which I admit is not easy if you're worried about them hurting themselves or damaging their cage even further.

Finally they could be bar chewing because it's become a habit and they can and in this case, it's better to put obstructions in the way which don't always have to cost much money. I've got wooden clothes pegs on the bars where they're most likely to chew and find that they're more keen to chew them than their bars.

There are some tips in an article that Vectis wrote which might be worth a look at: Managing Bar Chewers

[Fluffagrams]

Hamsters can bar chew for many reasons other than disliking the cage itself and sometimes it's a process of elimination to work out whick one it might be.

Aside from the cage itself, there may be something within the cage that she's not happy about such as moving a favourite toy, changing the substrate or something like a wheel or water bottle being difficult to use properly. You mentioned that you'd switched her onto a different substrate recently, it might be worth trying an alternative substrate to see if that helps. My hams love to make nests and tunnels with their substrate and if I use a substrate that doesn't allow them to do that as well as they'd like, it seems to affect their behaviour. You can check that the wheel spins freely and that the water bottle is working and at the right height for her.

The next thing to consider is what is outside the cage in the vicinity. On two occasions when I've had bar chewing the problems have been cused by something outside the cage. One was because I'd put the food container outside the cage and one of my hamsters became obesessed with trying to get at it. The other occasion it was a male hamster that was driving one of my girls crazy... a quick shuffle around of the cages soon stopped that. Other things to consider are things like air fresheners and electronics in close proximity to the cage. Electronics can often emit a buzzing or a hum that may be inaudible to us but some hamsters have been known to have been bothered by it.

The next thing to consider is whether your hamsters teeth are ok and whether she has plenty to chew on in the cage. I've often found that they don't chew those wooden things they sell in pet shops but will happily chew a dog biscuit or a dog chew (whimzees are the best option).

The next reason is more of a behavioural trait and that is attention seeking. If you're often going over to her when she's chewing the bars of her cage to tell her to to stop or distract her with some food, she'll soon learn that she can use this to her advantage and the only solution here is to ignore them when they start chewing, which I admit is not easy if you're worried about them hurting themselves or damaging their cage even further.

Finally they could be bar chewing because it's become a habit and they can and in this case, it's better to put obstructions in the way which don't always have to cost much money. I've got wooden clothes pegs on the bars where they're most likely to chew and find that they're more keen to chew them than their bars.

There are some tips in an article that Vectis wrote which might be worth a look at: Managing Bar Chewers

[Pebbles82]

Sleep deprivation can be pretty awful! So I can understand your frustration. Lots of good advice above. Could I suggest a temporary try of something so you can get some sleep and then think about it when feeling less stressed? Cut some cardboard and line the whole of the inside of the bars apart from the roof. So panels of cardboard propped up against the inside of the bars from the base up to the top of the bars up to the roof level. Other than that don't do anything in the cage. Moving anything in the cage, or cleaning out now will make her worse.

This will make the cage darker inside. It won't completely stop her getting at the bars if she chews through the cardboard, but it may distract her from trying to chew the bars. Or she may just chew the cardboard instead. If you cut up a cardboard box, then make sure there is no tape or staples in/on the cardboard.

Also, do you have a photo of her cage set up and we can see if we can spot something that might be making her unhappy in the cage or feeling a bit insecure?

[newtohammys]

Its actually funny xD I just found out why shes doing it. It was a bit of two reasons. 1 I just spot cleaned her cage and the poop was in the bin which is close by her cage I noticed she was chewing while aiming at the bars closest to the bin so maybe she smelled her scent in it and wanted to go explore there.

That and she is a diva just like me she realized when she chewed I'd come over to her and play with her to tire her out so I ignored her last night and she didn't chew once.

It also might have been that I haven't tamed her yet because honestly I'm afraid to and she's gave me a few nips nothing that broke skin or bled but scary to me due to my hamster as a child doing that and I ended up with a scar when he clamped his teeth down on my thumb (very horrific moment for an 8 year old, but probably my fault I'm guessing I probably frightened it I don't think anyone so young should hold a hamster they haven't been introduced to before especially when no ones paying attention but it was simpler times back then people didn't think of that stuff).

So she's doing good, I already check her wheel and water bottle daily to make sure she can't hurt herself and that neither are stuck

[Pebbles82]

Ah yes - you stole her poops! They don't like that Actually you don't need to remove a lot of the poops when spot cleaning - sometimes they eat them or hoard them. They have two stomachs and can re-digest vitamins etc from the poops which are just like little hard seeds and not smelly. Glad you solved it! I hope things settle down. Taming is something you could take slowly. The bathtub is a good place to start. Maybe once or twice a week (no water in it obviously and make sure it's dry). You can let her jump in a hamster ball, carefully carry the ball to the bathroom and put it down in the bath and take the lid off so she can run around in the bath. It helps to put a couple of toys in - a tube or hidey place but don't take them out of her cage - a kitchen roll tube slit down the side would do and a ceramic mug on its side. We tamed our last hammy this way. He would slither up and down the side of the bath trying to climb out. If we tried to pick him up he would jerk his head round as if threatening to bite, but he never did bite. Even so it can make you nervous and they pick up on that. You could use an old toothbrush and once or twice stroke her on the back with it while she's in the bath then if she does turn round and bite it will be the toothbrush handle she bites Until she gets used to that and stops doing it and you both build some confidence, then you could move onto just the occasional little stroke on the back with one finger. Once she accepts that you cup a hand under her and let her walk off. It should progress from there.

[newtohammys]

Oh she already let's me pet her she doesn't like it but she tolerates it she just can't be.picked up without jumping off and almost hurting herself xD