Attacking the water bottle

Smysha · 03-10-2010, 05:37 PM

I've had Jenga since mid-December. I was away for about 12 days in the middle of January and while I was away she was at my boyfriend's house. I have a Duna Multy but when she was at my boyfriend's she was in a MUCH smaller cage. (No worries! From what I hear of it she spent most of her time out of the cage anyway!) There wasn't a place to fit her water bottle inside so my boyfriend took to giving it to her by hand. When I got back and put her back in her duna she was fine. The only difference is that she's started to gob at the water bottle. She bites it and puts her entire mouth around it. It sounds like she attacks it. I'm usually out all day so I can only positively say what she's like during the evenings. Sometimes she does it more - sometimes she does it less. But when she does it more it's damn annoying. Also she does it with so much vigour that I'm afraid she's going to do something to her teeth! I don't think she's bored as I've spoilt her rotten with cage toys. I also let her out everyday usually for thirty minutes or an hour or more so it can't be letting off steam.

I'm not really worried about it. She seems fine, happy and normal in all other ways. I was just wondering if anybody else has seen this and I wonder why it started when I got back from holiday.

souffle · 03-11-2010, 01:46 AM

This is not uncommon. They get the idea that chewing the water bottle spout is fun. Unfortunatly this can lead to them emptying it quickly and also taking in too much water and weeing loads. We take the bottle off and use a small bowl, which does need changed frequently. If you use a bowl for a couple of weeks then bring the bottle back then that sometimes stops it but sometimes they go back to chewing it. You could try changing position or attaching it higher or lower on the cage or even swinging it from the roof as it makes it harder to get a grip on it then.
I expect she started it due to your boyfriend hand feeding her and then she gets attention!!

SarahJ · 03-12-2010, 02:40 AM

My hamster does this! i thought it was just him being strange!
Ive tryed everything to make him stop but he seems to like doing it! is abit of a pain when he wakes me up due to attacking the bottle. lol

ms_valentino · 03-16-2010, 08:19 PM

hi all,

Just realized this early morning that Bella does the same thing! She keep biting the water bottle. Well, mine is not exactly like a bottle.. It's more to bowl with some mushroom thingy on top of it (with leaves) and she tries to chew the leaves?

Agree with Sarah, it's a bit of a pain when Bella wakes me up from my sleep just because the sound of her biting the water bottle.

SarahJ · 03-17-2010, 06:13 AM

Mr Ham always seems to put the water bottle in his cheek pouches!
Does anyone know why he does this?

Zeppelin · 03-23-2010, 05:37 AM

One of my rescue syrains, Norman George used to frantically attack his water bottle at one point he attacked it so madly he fell over! I tried him with a bowl but he just moved it about and spilt all the water. At least with the bottle I knew he had a supply of water!