New hamster

IHeartHamsters · 10-09-2018, 02:05 AM

Hey guys I just adopted a new baby Syrian hamster and I named her Mapel syrup! She’s about 7 week and she’s sooo tiny. I’ve let her settle in for a few days and now started the taming. However she’s biting the bars of the cage and I don’t understand why. She’s living in the Savic hamster heaven and have plenty of chew toys and normal toys in her cage. I’ve been taking her out at night so I don’t understand why she is biting the cage bars and I’m worried that she might break a tooth or something. Is there anyway to stop hamsters from doing this and why she might be doing it

Thanks

cypher · 10-09-2018, 08:01 AM

Congrats on getting Maple syrup!

There can be lots of reasons for bar chewing but boredom is the most common cause, the Hamster Heaven is a bit small for an adult Syrian but should be ok for a baby provided she has a big enough wheel (8" is ok for a baby but she will need aa larger one as she grows) plenty of deep substrate, fill the base of that cage, so she can dig & burrow if she wants to, a good size house so she has somewhere dark & comfortable to sleep is essential too, if you don't have a good size house with no base sat on the substrate you could make one from a cardboard box.
If those basic needs are met she should be happy enough.
Keep cleaning to a minimum too so she doesn't get stressed, just spot clean for the first few weeks then after that you can do partial cleans as needed.
Chew toys aren't really enjoyed by most hams, they love whimzee dog chews, some enjoy apple or hazel sticks too but not all by any means.
Scatter feeding & hiding food or treats in little parcels or toilet roll treat toys can really help keep them busy too.
Have a look at this thread for more ideas.
Managing Bar Chewers
And if you have a photo of your cage set up it might help us see if there any changes that may help.

IHeartHamsters · 10-10-2018, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

Congrats on getting Maple syrup!

There can be lots of reasons for bar chewing but boredom is the most common cause, the Hamster Heaven is a bit small for an adult Syrian but should be ok for a baby provided she has a big enough wheel (8" is ok for a baby but she will need aa larger one as she grows) plenty of deep substrate, fill the base of that cage, so she can dig & burrow if she wants to, a good size house so she has somewhere dark & comfortable to sleep is essential too, if you don't have a good size house with no base sat on the substrate you could make one from a cardboard box.
If those basic needs are met she should be happy enough.
Keep cleaning to a minimum too so she doesn't get stressed, just spot clean for the first few weeks then after that you can do partial cleans as needed.
Chew toys aren't really enjoyed by most hams, they love whimzee dog chews, some enjoy apple or hazel sticks too but not all by any means.
Scatter feeding & hiding food or treats in little parcels or toilet roll treat toys can really help keep them busy too.
Have a look at this thread for more ideas.
Managing Bar Chewers
And if you have a photo of your cage set up it might help us see if there any changes that may help.

Thank you so much cypher for the help. I’ve just scatter some of her food around her cage like you said. How can I upload a photo of the cage? Idk how to upload photos yet x

cypher · 10-10-2018, 11:50 PM

There's a thread here that shows you how to upload & embed photos.
How To Embed Photos
You will need to resize them though, this thread might help with that.
How to resize photos 2018

Thin Lizzy · 10-13-2018, 04:05 AM

Congratulations on Maple Syrup.
I've had a few cage chewers over the years, I always found weaving thick cardboard through the bars helped which they tackled instead, also whenever mine started chewing I would ignore them, the more attention you give them while they do it, the more they'll do it. Hamsters hate being ignored. I would praise and treat mine when they stopped but the moment they restarted it, I would walk away. I would go and tidy up, some housework or put on some music. Fortunately, they never did it for long, they preferred the treats. Whimzees are great for keeping them amused.