9 month old hammie has started to chew cage bars!!

[RolyRocks]

Hi, I would really like some advice please.
My 9 month old Syrian male has just started chewing his cage bars at night...
He did this as a baby and I soon realised his cage was too small. As soon as he was in a much larger one with a huge wheel he was as happy as larry and hasn't chewed the bars since... until now!
Nothing has changed in his cage, apart from me adding a few extra toys or chews every now and then so I would be surprised if all of a sudden he was bored or stressed. To be honest, he has never really shown much of an interest in toys or been a big chewer (and I have tried him with many different types) but he's always appeared a happy and chilled out little guy.
I tried really hard today to have a good look at his teeth (but he is a little wriggler) and from what I can see his bottom ones are longer than his top and do have a slight gap in between.
I am wondering if a check up at the vets might be in order?! I don't want to stress him out but I am worrying about the little guy (plus the noise is keeping me awake at night!).

[Petite]

I'm no expert on hamsters' teeth, but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon. I had a brief incidence of my hamster chewing her cage bars, and soon realised it was because her wheel wasn't running freely. Once the wheel was sorted, she settled down again. Maybe just something to check before you go to the vet?

[Pebbles82]

If they start doing this out of the blue it is usually something has stressed them. First thing to check is if his wheel is working. If it’s jammed he will go a bit stir crazy and have pent up energy. A change of location can also trigger this kind of stress - eg moving the cage to another room or regularly moving it from its usual location. It does sound like changing things in the cage might be the cause though. Generally they don’t like things being moved or taken away and having their cage messed with! They usually accept the odd new thing being added as long as it doesn’t change the familiar set up too much.

Scatter feeding can help relieve boredom- so when you put the food in the food bowl, also scatter a little bit on the substrate as well. They like foraging for it.

The bottom teeth are supposed to be longer than the top ones. However they can get too long if they don’t regularly chew something hard (eg chew stick and hard food). You’d probably know if they’d got too long because he wouldn’t be able to open his mouth to eat or take food from you. However when they get stressed and bar chewing like this suddenly it can be to try and tell you they have a problem- communicating and getting your attention. Hence checking the wheel.

They can also get like this if you do too much cleaning out or remove their boards. Partial jeans and spot cleans are better.

[RolyRocks]

Thank you both for your replies. The last few nights I haven't heard him chew on the bars so fingers crossed all is now well. I am still not sure what caused him to start doing it, I thoroughly checked his wheel and it is absolutely fine and I always keep his cage in the same spot in my bedroom. I do add a new toy/treat occasionally so maybe this upset him a little....

Regards to cleaning, I am not sure if the way I do it is correct, but I spot clean a couple of times a week and check and remove some of his hoard once a week. I'm sure there are a few of us that can say this, but my goodness, my Roly is one big hoarder!! He appears to be a healthy weight but I sometimes wonder if he actually eats any of his food! He loves his fresh fruit and veg but the tablespoon of hamster food a feed him daily he stores in his bed! I have tried about 4 different types of hamster food in the past 9 months and he has done the same with all of them. I have tried both pellets and muesli and he is very selective about what he likes and what he dislikes. Maybe I have turned him into a fussy eater....

[Pebbles82]

Hoarding is a natural instinct for them and they tend to snack from their hoard. It does sound like it might be removing some of his hoard that has set him off. They are very fussy about their nest and hoard being messed with! It is necessary to make sure there is nothing going off in there etc and their boards can get quite large but I tend to leave it alone and only “prune” the bottom half of it (ie the oldest food) when I do a substrate change and that tends to only be about every 3 months! If it isn’t pee’d on then it’s fine to leave and keeps them feeling secure and happy and in control. I find they tend to bury it under their nest and nearby (sitting on it to keep it safe!) so if he has a good depth of substrate under his house it will be easier for him to hoard and won’t fill the house up so much. A largeish house that is open underneath and sat on top of at least 4” of substrate works well.

If you do have to remove any hoard it’s recommended to put new food back in exactly the same place to replace it (a bit less if the hoard was big!). So if you did remove his hoard and not put any new food in the same place to replace it then yes he will go a bit frantic! Thieves have been in his house!

[RolyRocks]

Thank you again for your advice regarding hoarding, it was very helpful.
I just assumed because his hoard was so large that I should remove some of it or else it was just going to get bigger and bigger and bigger!! I have to admit it did feel silly chucking good food away, so instead I will leave it alone and hopefully he will continue to nibble away at it. He is usually very good at eating all his fruit and veg, I know what he likes and what he doesn't (he's a tad fussy!) but I will keep an eye that nothing gets left and goes off. The only problem is to check his hoard I have to disrupt his nest, I guess there's not much that can be done about that. And the only other thing I would say is that a lot of his poop gets mixed up in his hoard, not sure if that's normal or not.
Also.. I spoke too soon about the cage biting getting better, last night he was back at it again, pretty much on and off all night long! I have changed absolutely nothing, so why he stopped and started again is confusing!
Hamsters certainly are complex little creatures!

[Geo92]

when I first put my hamster in his cage, he did climb on the bars and chew on them, but noticed as the days went on this happens less and less, and now he doesn't do it anymore, just spends the night on this wheel. it can be a sign of stress etc. or boredom.


and for hoarding, just don't feed him, for a couple days after the bowl is empty, even better if you know where he keeps his hoard to check on his food stores...

hamsters typically don't overeat, but some can.. it's rare for one to over ate, unless a health issue etc... but, just put food in, and when it's gone just refill every other day, to make sure he uses up the food he has stored. doing it this way.. will make him not be so fussy about the food, and gives him times to finish his food stores as well.

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by Geo92

and for hoarding, just don't feed him, for a couple days after the bowl is empty, even better if you know where he keeps his hoard to check on his food stores...

I totally disagree with not feeding a hamster and make him eat from his hoard only. Foraging and hoarding is what hamsters do. They come out at night to forage for food. Prune the hoard from time to time like Serendipity said and scatter a good hamster mix like Harry Hamster (pellets are a bit boring) around his cage to give him something to do at night. Best to cut fresh food into very small pieces so they dry up rather than rot if not eaten.
My Syrian has two big hoards in his house. One under his nest and one opposite his nest. I still make sure that he has food in his bowl at all times and scatter some around as well. Like Serendipity, i prune the hoards from time to time but leave his nest and hoards undisturbed as much as possible. They are his not mine.

[Geo92]

Originally Posted by Ria P

I totally disagree with not feeding a hamster and make him eat from his hoard only. Foraging and hoarding is what hamsters do. They come out at night to forage for food. Prune the hoard from time to time like Serendipity said and scatter a good hamster mix like Harry Hamster (pellets are a bit boring) around his cage to give him something to do at night. Best to cut fresh food into very small pieces so they dry up rather than rot if not eaten.
My Syrian has two big hoards in his house. One under his nest and one opposite his nest. I still make sure that he has food in his bowl at all times and scatter some around as well. Like Serendipity, i prune the hoards from time to time but leave his nest and hoards undisturbed as much as possible. They are his not mine.

people have different ways of doing things, and I've been told different things from all sorts of people, and I if you disagree that is your right to do so, the idea is you don't keep refilling your Bowl, as he might get fussy, and choose what he eats, and that isn't very good.

I have a mix of food I give him, the harry mix, and the nugget food, I've mixed them both together in a food air tight container, and I have gave him few days ago a little piece of carrot and cucumber, just to see what he does.


at the end of the day, I am not saying what you do is wrong, but it sounds like what you're saying what I am doing is wrong. and quite honestly, I've heard all sorts of methods, so it just sounds like if I am not doing what you're doing I am wrong,

Yes I did think about always filling his bowl when emptied, and was worried about over eating, yes i know it's very rare and unlikely for a hamster to over eat but it isn't impossible.

I don't leave my hamster without food, I know he eats his stored food, as I keep a check on it..


and about scattering, that would be fine, it it depends on the hamsters they're all different.. mine would rather run on his wheel all night and that's what he does, wakes up at 10-11pm runs till the early hours in the morning. and I have no issue with hiding like a treat or something, but for the main food source.... feel like he would rather just have it in a bowl, and that's fine.. if that what he prefers, obviously, he cannot speak so I have to make that judgement based on what I witnessed, he is barely over a month old, and after the day I got him he explored once, then it was wheel wheel wheel.

lastly please don't take what I say as offensive, as I have took some of your advice on my thread.. and I do appreciate it, I've had a hamster before, and trying to do it better this time, and I have done alot better as I did when I was younger, I've spent like nearly £300 on this hamster, I care, and I do want the best for him, Like I've said my hamster (As of now) doesn't explore just uses his wheel, maybe it will change later, but for now it's what he does at night, Ill put a treat in tonight, and hide, I bet you it will still be there.

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by Geo92

lastly please don't take what I say as offensive, as I have took some of your advice on my thread.. and I do appreciate it, I've had a hamster before, and trying to do it better this time, and I have done alot better as I did when I was younger, I've spent like nearly £300 on this hamster, I care, and I do want the best for him, Like I've said my hamster (As of now) doesn't explore just uses his wheel, maybe it will change later, but for now it's what he does at night, Ill put a treat in tonight, and hide, I bet you it will still be there.

Just because i disagree with something doesn't mean that i'm trying to say that the other person is wrong and that i'm right. I expressed my opinion and when it comes to hamsters i can come across a bit strong sometimes. I don't mean to offend either. Opinions can vary so much on hamster related matters but what it comes down to is that every one of us here tries to give their hamster the best hamster life possible. It helps to bounce different ideas, views and opinions about and sometimes i pick something up i hadn't even thought about before.