Best Toys for Reducing Boredom

[GreySyrian]

I was just wondering what toys people recommend for hamsters that they found keep them the most entertained!

They have tubes/sputniks/sand baths/hideaways but they aren't the most chew-able of toys (or at least the hams seem to think so!) so does anyone recommend certain edible toys/gnaws ?

[pinkneon]

You could try a kabob thing - you hang treats on them, or even some wooden blocks. Great for chewing on, if they actually chew it! Sweep doesn't chew his ...

[CMB]

Antos or whimzees are dog chews but hamsters seem to like them.

[Scarlett Empress]

My hamster loved these Shred-a-Logs! I would pull off about an inch and poke sunflowers seeds, pumpkin seeds etc into the little holes and she loved chewing the cardboard to get them out - I think it was her favourite ever toy.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boredom-Bre...ds=shred+a+log

[freyashamsters]

I find that hide n seek toys keep hams stimulated and busy for a while as popping through the holes seems to amuse them a lot!

Play n Climb Kit: https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...ck_find=114454

Sleep n Play Cheese: https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...ck_find=137957

Hide n seek cube - holes are too small for Syrians and fluffy bedding needs removing: https://www.viovet.co.uk/Happy_Pet_W...q=Cube&sct_r=3

Toys made out of toilet roll tubes are also very popular and can make a variety of toys. I find that this is the best tutorial for them: 10 TOILET ROLL TOYS FOR PETS - YouTube

[Kissa]

My Syrians seem to love egg boxes! Don't know why they do, but sometimes I'll put their food in a closed egg box and they have great fun ripping it open to get to the food, and then ripping the egg box to shreds! They also like other weird cardboard things, currently they have the cardboard inserts out of a new pair of shoes I bought recently. I think it is an interesting shape and makes a change from the usual toilet roll tube

Their second favourite toys seem to be hanging rat tubes, and sputniks which you've already mentioned

[GreySyrian]

Thanks for replies everyone Looks like I need to go on a hammy shopping trip!

Ooh eggboxes might be worth a try! Im presuming you'd have to remove the label but would the glue underneath the label still be ok for them to chew or is it best just to give them the bottom?

[Pebbles82]

Charlie has never shown any interest in any toys in his cage! Unless they are food related or cosy. So putting bedding in his sputnik and a tube leading to it got him napping in his sputnik regularly. The Antos toothbrush chews are the only ones he showed any real interest in and got excited about. Although he would spend a fair bit of time chewing the rosewood naturals dandelion sticks. He ignored them at first but after a couple of days (with no sweeter option) he started demolishing them.

Out of cage is a different matter - he will spend half an hour chewing and ripping cardboard and hay off the inside of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosewood-Na...ottage+hamster

In the cage he just used it as a step to climb on and occasionally nibbled the top.

He does love this hyacinth tube though and uses it all the time - he likes going in and out of the holes and has chewed it in the past. It's nice and soft and no scratchy or sharp bits. The small size is also big enough for a large syrian

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosewood-Bo...yacinth+tunnel

There are other sellers on Amazon if you don't want an add-on item and viovet sell it too.

They can have a lot of fun with substrate too - the deeper the better - then they can pile it into mounds or dig under it. Sorry if you know that already And scatter feeding gets Charlie quite excited.

[flowerfairy]

Any cardboard threaded through the bars gets Kashi excited. She gives little squeeks when i put a new bit in! She is like a paper shredder and rapidly makes teeny little flakes of cardboard that go eveywhere.

All of them love those wicker tunnels that zooplus sell. Gopal sits and washes in his, Kashi chomps hers as does Woodstock. Oh chill n chew mats are popular too.