Hamster doesn't chew anything. Ideas?

[AmityvilleHams]

I've never had any issues with my dog and Whimzees, nor have I ever heard of them making a dog throw up. I have heard that about Greenies though which are a very different chew - one I personally wouldn't recommend at all for any species including dogs and hamsters. Of course some dogs might still be allergic to Whimzees despite them having very limited ingredients which aren't really that common for dogs to be allergic to.

In terms of the rattan wobble ball and eating the second inner ball I would keep those for out of cage use if a hamster is actually getting inside the first ball and eating the second one mostly because there's a potential injury risk if a foot were to get stuck in a hole. Alternatively you could try hanging it up where it can be somewhat chewed(you'd probably have to occasionally rotate it manually to keep it chewable I'd imagine) but not climbed into. I can't say for sure it's all that safe to eat so much water hyacinth either so definitely make sure your hamster is eating enough actual food for dietary balance and such!

[Engel]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

I've never had any issues with my dog and Whimzees, nor have I ever heard of them making a dog throw up. I have heard that about Greenies though which are a very different chew - one I personally wouldn't recommend at all for any species including dogs and hamsters. Of course some dogs might still be allergic to Whimzees despite them having very limited ingredients which aren't really that common for dogs to be allergic to.

In terms of the rattan wobble ball and eating the second inner ball I would keep those for out of cage use if a hamster is actually getting inside the first ball and eating the second one mostly because there's a potential injury risk if a foot were to get stuck in a hole. Alternatively you could try hanging it up where it can be somewhat chewed(you'd probably have to occasionally rotate it manually to keep it chewable I'd imagine) but not climbed into. I can't say for sure it's all that safe to eat so much water hyacinth either so definitely make sure your hamster is eating enough actual food for dietary balance and such!

Amity it does come across like you are seeing danger in every thing that a hamster can have. Chill dude. It's all about the individual hamster too not just the toy.

[AmityvilleHams]

Originally Posted by Engel

Amity it does come across like you are seeing danger in every thing that a hamster can have. Chill dude. It's all about the individual hamster too not just the toy.

That response was, in fact, specific to an individual hamster as far as the toy response goes. I'm sure many other hamsters wouldn't do the same, but if they were having the same behavior with it then yes that advice would still apply. Also, if a danger is present it is our responsibility to point those things out for the sake of hamsters involved - in this specific case regarding the toy behavior response it was just one individual of course!

Looking back though maybe my wording wasn't quite clear enough, but to clarify one more time that response regarding the rattan wobble balls was specifically referring to an individual hamster.

[anjalina rosario]

[QUOTE=spookymulder;946259]Annushka doesn't seem to be interested in chewing anything. I've tried willow and apple wood, toilet paper rolls, cardboard and scraping peanut button on the apple/willow sticks. This leads to a little bit of chewing but not much.

Not sure what else to do besides soaking the sticks in something which I will try next. She just doesn't really seem to be a chewer at all so I'm not sure what her preferred object to chew is (if there is one).

I would suggest watching this youtube video for some ideas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agDCTo4ZESE

this helped me with my last hamster and i hope it works for you!

[spookymulder]

I tried to find Whimzees at Walmart today but no luck. Will check Food Lion and Ingles when I get a chance.

[AmityvilleHams]

Walmart doesn't sell Whimzees unfortunately - you'd have to find them at a pet store like Petco, Petsmart, Pet Supermarket, etc.

[Petite]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

In terms of the rattan wobble ball and eating the second inner ball I would keep those for out of cage use if a hamster is actually getting inside the first ball and eating the second one mostly because there's a potential injury risk if a foot were to get stuck in a hole. Alternatively you could try hanging it up where it can be somewhat chewed(you'd probably have to occasionally rotate it manually to keep it chewable I'd imagine) but not climbed into. I can't say for sure it's all that safe to eat so much water hyacinth either so definitely make sure your hamster is eating enough actual food for dietary balance and such!

Thanks, Amityville, for your sound advice. It's a really good idea to try hanging it as that would ensure Freya's safety, or to keep it for out of cage time. There isn't actually enough of it left now for it to cause her any harm in terms of trapping, but I am being a bit more generous with her food just now to make sure of good nutrition.

[AmityvilleHams]

Originally Posted by Petite

Thanks, Amityville, for your sound advice. It's a really good idea to try hanging it as that would ensure Freya's safety, or to keep it for out of cage time. There isn't actually enough of it left now for it to cause her any harm in terms of trapping, but I am being a bit more generous with her food just now to make sure of good nutrition.

You're welcome. I'm glad she doesn't have enough left of this current ball for those issues then!

[spookymulder]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

Walmart doesn't sell Whimzees unfortunately - you'd have to find them at a pet store like Petco, Petsmart, Pet Supermarket, etc.

Gotcha, I'll check PetSmart.