It isn't always boredom - some hamsters are just bar chewers, however much space they have. I agree that out of cage time in a playpen may help, but she will still chew the bars probably. I would suggest getting a big ball of untreated sisal string or rope - not too thin but not so thick it won't fit between the bar and the glass - and wind it round the bars from top to bottom, covering them. Your hammy may still chew at them but it will be less noisy, less bad for teeth, and keep her occupied - plus it will take some chewing through! At the same time add some distraction in the cage - hide a couple of treats each day - maybe half a walnut, or a hamster treat, and get some whimzee toothbrushes. You could also make a treat parcel from a toilet roll for her to attack. Check out Erin's Hamsters 10 toilet roll toys....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuPeyD6w-CI&t=58s
Either she's just got a bar chewing habit or she is extremely active or there is something in the cage she's not happy about and is trying to get away. ie too much cleaning out stressing her, or wheel not working, or not enough substrate or hidey places.
Do you have a photo of the set up? We might be able to make some suggestions. I think set up changes can make a massive difference. Just adding a large house or a lot of substrate or different levels - and giving her something to do/find in the cage.
If they have enough substrate and a big house and a platform, they start busying with normal hamster behaviours like rearranging the substrate, making mountains out of it, and even cleaning out their own houses! When our last Syrian had a large house he built a huge nest and used the far corner for his toilet - so I moved his litter tray inside the house. I emptied the litter tray every 5 days or so,but if he thought it was getting whiffy before then he would carefully put substrate on top of the litter tray each day after peeing in it! One time I went a bit long before doing a clean and came down to find a patch of bare cage base with no substrate, and a mound of smelly substrate and bedding in front of the door. He had cleaned out his house and nest and replaced the bedding and substrate in it from the cage. It was like - here - take this away!
Your hamster needs to make a route and a routine in the detolf. Setting it out so she has an obstacle course or route from a house at one end to a shelf at the other end, and a different route option back, could make it fun for her. Food bowl on the shelf means she has to travel from one end to the other each day. Scattering some of the food means she can get distracted foraging for it.
Sorry if you know all this already!
But I would go with - providing a large house (if she doesn't have one) - a shoebox is a good size. Cut the bottom out and keep the lid as a lift-off roof - so you can check inside occasionally without the nest falling apart. Cut a hole for a door - offset - nearer one side than the other on one of the long sides. Put a bendy bridge tunnel over entrance. It will tempt her inside and make a ramp to the shoebox roof/platform. Have the house at one end of the detolf maybe. You could put a corner litter tray inside it at the back, nearest the door end. They tend to nest furthest away from the door where it's darkest. The bendy bridge tunnel stops the light getting inside.
Have at least 4 to 5 inches of substrate,especially at the house end. So she can bury hoards under her nest and enjoy snacking in bed.
Have some kind of platform at the other end, or even running along the back length of the detolf,if you don't mind a bit of diy. If diy is a hassle (which I find it) then you can make a simple platform with two Ikea Knuff magazine racks stuck together. Some people stick little dowels round the top to make a fence but you don't have to. I would block off the little hole in the end though as a syrian could get stuck in that - just glue a couple of small dowels or a piece of wood across it.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=kn...w=1525&bih=678
Have a large tunnel in the centre of the detolf maybe - large cork logs from reptile shops are ideal. You can also use a medium sized bendy bridge or two on it's side to fence off part of the detolf and have different levels of substrate each side, or even different types of substrate.
It will give her lots to explore and make it her own. This set up might give some ideas. It also has an end just for digging in. The detolf is a lovely big cage,but if it's too empty or too much open space, a hamster can't settle in.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125312803@N06/14203399270
Re: Syrian bites bars desperately
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