Quote:
Originally Posted by My hamster Zinky
I haven’t quite got to grips with the picture option yet, so unfortunately can’t put one on here. But the cage has lots of running and climbing space as well as a flying saucer which he doesn’t really go on and a wheel, which is a silent spinner. It is 9” so it doesn’t bend his back when he runs.
He has stopped chewing the bars now and is instead chewing the metal suspenders of his hanging bridge. It doesn’t make too much noise, but I worry that it isn’t good for his teeth (I’m sure it’s probaboy fine though). Last night he was chewing his actual wheel. He doesn’t seem to want to chew the wood and cardboard that I put in there, perhaps my hamster doesn’t like soft things to chew?
Also he’s about 5 months old now, I’ve had him for 2 months. He seems to like his cage and his house is just a pile of bedding in the corner under a shelf (he prefers that set up to the actual large house that came with the cage!) and has quite a few hidy holes.
I think that, seeing as he has stopped the bar chewing now, and is now chewing other things that aren’t wood or cardboard, it’s kind of problem solved? Unless metal and plastic isn’t a good thing to chew.... George has got some more toys coming (a chew shelf and a wooden bendy bridge) so he may like them. Thanks!
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That's good news. Is it one of those hanging bridges with chains? They can have a few risks due to a hammy maybe getting a foot caught in the chains and the rungs being an open ladder style. There have been cases of hammies hanging by a broken leg, especially if the ladder is quite high up. Something like a rat sputnik might be better as a hanging toy - that works best hung next to a shelf so he can get in it easily - but watch there is nothing hard to land on if he jumps out of the other side. Plenty of substrate should cushion jumping out. Putting bit of bedding and a treat in the sputnik tends to tempt them into it to try it out.
Do you mean 9" silent "runner"? There isn't a 9" silent spinner, just a 6.5" or a 12".
I would suggest replacing the hanging bridge, keep plenty of substrate in, add plenty of chews and a whimzee chew and see how he goes. Replacing the bridge could be good (eg with a sputnik) as they can get upset if things are just taken out whereas something new added will be interesting and distract from the change.
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pe...l-ferret-house
You can also get them from rat rations and choose the top and bottom colour.
Sputnik - XL - £4.99 : ratRations.com
This is one hanging in our Syrian's cage. When it was in a lower cage he could just climb in it from floor level. In the taller Barney cage it works best next to, or partly over a shelf.
I would think about getting a bigger wheel if he is chewing it - it might be big enough but they do seem to prefer a large wheel and run better in it. There might be something that is bothering him.
A popular option is the 28cm Trixie wheel.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Exer...m+trixie+wheel
Attachment 43558
Attachment 43559
Alternatively you could replace the chains on the hanging bridge with sisal rope, which is safe to chew, and stick a piece of wood under the rungs to make it solid. But if he chews the rope it will collapse so maybe not!
Re: How to stop bar chewing
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