Overgrown claws

[Kyrkogrimr]

Hello again!

Now that Cadmium has decided she's comfortable being handled (and using me as a climbing frame) I've been more able to check her over and I'm worried that her claws are getting a little overgrown.
She's got some wooden toys that have natural bark surfaces that I have been acquiring recently, like a bridge that seems to have become one of her favourite toys.

Will that help wear down her claws? Or is there something else I should be doing? I know I could clip them or take her to a vet to be clipped, but I imagine that would be stressful and she's a massive fidget, so I'd be worried about hurting her if she wriggled at the wrong moment Is there anything else I can do to help wear them down naturally?

[LunaTheHamster1]

pebbles/stones placed in her cage will really help. They need sterilising first. Or if you have a tiled floor where she can run around.

[Ria P]

My hamster scratches the floor when inside his coconut hut which must be good to wear his nails down.

Pebbles are great like Luna already said. I gave mine a good wash and scrub then used three good sized ones for a path leading up to my hamster's house.

The rough texture of a clay pot on its side with a bit of food chucked in is good too especially a smaller pot so the hamster has to use its paws to get the food out.

[Fenrir]

My hamster had an overgrown claw and I just trimmed it, the others seemed fine though and he hasn't had an issue since. Trimming them can be a pain, since they can be fidgety, just try be gentle and not stress them out or take them to a vet if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself.

I also have quite a few wooden houses / bridges that are rough in texture for him to run on not only to help his claws but he loves to chew that type of texture

[10Minutes]

Ria's coconut hut sounds so adorable.

I have given my hamster a sterilised pebble for her teeth and claws, and she also has a ceramic hideout. It's basically an essential oil burner (that I've bought especially for her) from a dollar store that is her absolute favourite because she just snuggles inside it as a cooling nest, sits on top of it for a snack and for gazing outside of her bin cage, and scratches the outer surface pattern a lot to file her nails down.

[PurpleKat]

Coconut hides are good, along with chew toys and stones.
My dwafs seem to like this methods, however my syrian never seemed to use them.
However, I found whole walnuts, a tiny hole made so they can smell its food, then they can claw at it and chew. This seems to have gotten her teeth and claws down.

I'd try a few things and see what your hamster prefers to do. Each hamster has their own preferances and quirks.

[Kyrkogrimr]

Thanks for all your suggestions, I'll give them a try. She does have a coconut hide, but when prefers chewing it to scratching it. She really loves her wooden bridge, I'm hoping the amount of time she spends on that will help, and I will definitely grab some stones for her.