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Old 01-23-2020, 12:48 PM   #1
Kate1999
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1
Unhappy New hamster owner in need of help

Hi I've had my hamster about a week now and she keeps chewing on the mesh on her cage. It's not annoying for me I'm just worried about her as I know it can harm their nose and teeth. I am brand new to owning a hamster so I would love some advice. She is currently in the IKEA detolf which is about 43×160 cm and she has a 32L bin on top which is her favourite part. The only thing is she is chewing on the mesh. I dont want to take this away from her as she uses this almost like a bedroom and it's where she goes when she is scared. She currently has two wheels one I believe is 8inch and the other is 6inch I know that one is too small but I'm planning on getting rid of the smaller one but it's the one she uses most at the moment and I dont want to upset her as she is still getting used to her environment I think.sorry if this is too long but I would love some advice
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Old 01-25-2020, 06:33 AM   #2
Petite
Senior Hamster
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Scotland
Posts: 501
Default Re: New hamster owner in need of help

Does she have enough enrichment in her cage (bridges, tunnels, toys, etc)? Usually, chewing on the bars or mesh of the cage indicates boredom. Does she have enough substrate for burrowing? Perhaps you might post a photo of your set-up to see if anyone has any suggestions / recommendations. (I would especially like to see a photo, as I'm taking delivery of an IKEA detolf on Monday).

You don't say whether your hammy is a Syrian or a dwarf, but if the latter the 6" wheel shouldn't be too small for her; just check that she's not bending her back when she's running in it.
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Old 01-25-2020, 07:04 AM   #3
cypher
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Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
Default Re: New hamster owner in need of help

A photo of your set up when you an post one would help to see if there are any changes that might help distract her, sometimes they will chew something just because they can! With mesh it's always best to use something that they can't get their noses through the holes to actually chew on the mesh.
Do you have two different types of wheel as well asa different sizes? Sometimes they may prefer one wheel over another such an enclosed one or maybe one that spins more easily regardless of the size but a 6" wheel is too small for any ham long term, if she's a baby & as she's only been with you a week & is still settling in I would leave it for a while so as not to disturb her just yet.
Have you tried whimzee dog chews? They are really popular with most hams & that might help distract her from chewing. Other than that as much enrichment & substrate as you can provide her with, scatter feeding rather than using a bowl too, to keep her busy & out of trouble!
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Old 01-25-2020, 08:37 AM   #4
imawizard
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Join Date: Mar 2019
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Default Re: New hamster owner in need of help

It could be that she is just settling in still and after a short time she will stop. In the meantime distract her with plenty of toys, chews and enrichment. As the others have mentioned a picture of your set up would be very helpful and to know what species

If she is a Syrian then they can be sometimes quite hard to please and need a lot of stimulation to keep them occupied. Once settled in and she is happy to come out, I would suggest free roaming in a hamster proof room/space or you could use an empty bath tub or playpen.
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