Bar biting... AGAIN

[PumpkinSpice92]

Hello,

My syrian girl Podge has started bar chewing again for the past two nights - she was previously doing it because she was in too small a cage, but once she settled into the Hamster Heaven and we made a few adjustments, she was fine.
I don't know what could have started this up again - there's been no changes and she gets lots of outside-cage time! It really upsets me as I can't help her, and she just looks really frantic doing it.
I would be so grateful for any suggestions as to why/how to stop this - I do all the things suggested in the "managing bar chewers" thread - she has so many different things to chew, her food is scatter fed (and she has three tiny bowls she uses as hoards around the cage
Do you guys reckon changing the cage around weekly would do any good?

[Baron]

You're doing your best! You gave her a bigger cage, toys and outside playtime. Scatter feeding is also very nice!

But I do recognize alot of things from two of my own Syrian ladies. One of them, Ray, was housed in a Barney but...she started to chew holes in the plastic base. The other one, called Bayou, was kept in an Alaska cage before I got her. Both of them did what Podge did. Frantic barchewing. Climbing, just seemingly looking for a way out.

I had to upgrade both of them to larger cages in the end. But, there are other things I did, because getting yet another cage might not be an option.

-Scattering white/unscented toilet paper pieces for her to collect, to use as bedding.
-I offered them a second wheel. They seemed really fascinated in the beginning. Before picking a favorite wheel to run in.
-Just in case with Ray again, I put things in every corner of the cage, because she started chewing in another corner. After this, I gave her a thick layer of bedding, exceeding the height of her plastic cage base. She calmed down after this.

I did a few layout changes with Ray. I gave her about two-three weeks each time to see if she liked it or not. After about three attempts she seemed happy. Maybe Podge is the same?

I don't know how long for or in what way you offer out of cage time, but maybe a good, sturdy playpen filled with interesting objecst? (Cheap stuff, carboard boxes and such. Scatter feeding in the pen is also a fun activity.) I got one from Zooplus, but DIY options are also a thing. But I don't have any experience with DIY-pens. Now every night I just put my syrians in it and they no longer barchew.

I hope this helps!

[PumpkinSpice92]

Thank's Baron for your reply

It's so strange, on a morning she seems really happy just listening to us and following us around the room so I don't think she is unhappy - she just WANTS OUT NOW!

[Baron]

I think females just want to be out more in general. Somebody I know has two female syrians housed in Mary cages ( same size as the Heaven) but they want nothing more then to just run around and explore.

I was actually surprised to see how social they could be towards their owners when I started with hamsters!

[PumpkinSpice92]

Apologies, hit send accidentally before I'd finished! haha.
I've tried playpens too but all she does it try escape that too :rollseyes: - about £50 worth of toys in at any one time and all she's doing is frantically trying to get out, haha
I think perhaps moving things around often will help - she does love scatter feeding too so might try that in her playpen/the bath.
I've put more substrate in too... literally covered the base, that and a cleverly placed wooden ledge in the way of her favourite chew spot seemed to work last time but now it's two corners and I can't cover all of them - I have tried to put chews near where she chews in the hopes it'll distract her but it does not! haha - she has whimzees, wooden sticks, flavoured wood chews and sisal/rope chew things so lots of variety!
I only hope she's doing it because she just loves outside and not because she hates her cage , I nearly cried when I saw her little nose this morning - she's got so much to be doing in her cage, I can't see why she'd be spending her whole time in there biting the metal bars unless she was unhappy and I feel like it's something I'm doing wrong

[flowerfairy]

My Kashi (rip) was like that. She had the barney cage from zooplus (100 x 54cm) and a huge silent runner wheel. I gave her a second wheel and threadedncardboard through the bars, she soon chewed it off but I kept on replacing it as well as hiding food in egg boxes and other cardboard stuff.

I like your idea of chaning things around in her cage regularly. I would keep her bed the same and just rotate a couple of toys.

Sisal string with food hangong on it is a good entertainer. Best of luck!

Ps Kashi did stop chewing after a while.

[PumpkinSpice92]

Thanks for the replies!
I think I’m going to make some of Erinsanimals cardboard chews and wrap some cardboard around the bars too - I’ve been saving up tp rolls to do some crafting!
When I change around her cage I’m going to see if both her wheels (large flying saucer in cage now and a Trixie 11inch) fit with enough space for other toys - not sure they will “/
Thanks for your advice - I’ve been checking her teeth every morning and so far all okay, please tell me the rubbed off fur will grow back?

[Pebbles82]

Is there anything that happened just before she started bar chewing again? ie had she settled into the Hamster heaven for more than 2 weeks before she started bar chewing?

Just wondering as sometimes it can be something like a cage clean or changing things around that actually triggers something like bar chewing if they feel the cage has been invaded.

If you do weekly cleans this may stress her. And she wants to escape the strangeness when her familiar scent has been removed.

See if it settles down. Let her out regularly but don't do any cage cleans for a few weeks - just spot clean the pee or use a litter tray and leave her nest and hoard in tact. Just give the wheel a wipe as and when necessary but not too often. She may settle again. Sometimes adding something new can distract as well. Like a new little hide.

[flowerfairy]

I agree with Serendipity esp about the cage cleans being stressful. Erins animals does a great cage cleaning video.

[PumpkinSpice92]

Hi Serendipity, I genuinely can’t think of anything that would have set her off - she’s been about three weeks settled down - I took the penthouse off cos she was biting the door of that and put a chew toy/ledge in the corner and got her a flying saucer and that stopped it! Thinking about it, I do mess around with the cage every few days - move her chews around and straighten the cage up etc and I’ve just put a new bendy tube thingy in too. She hasn’t seemed bothered by any of this though - although obviously I could be wrong because something isn’t right!
I’ve watched Erin’s animals cleaning vid and the one and only time i’ve cleaned her out (only had her bout 7 weeks) I did follow what she said - I honestly don’t know what to do for the best...
She’s a lot more wriggly than my last hams (all boys), and I don’t know whether that is associated with anything - she’s fine to cuddle with when you first get her out of the cage, she,lol jump right on your hand, but when she’s been in the ball for a while (I do like 5 mins ball time then a cuddle then more ball time then a cuddle etc etc for about an hour most nights a week) she’s super wriggly and you have to fight to stop her leaping of your hand, not sure if that’s relevant/a bad thing
I appreciate your comments guys