Bottle Holder Risks

[AmityvilleHams]

There is definitely a lot of support when it comes to bottle holders,and I wouldn't say that all bottle holders are necessarily dangerous.However,with a recent experience(and previous fears)I can at least say that there are some bottle holders which are just not safe.

My experience with a metal bottle holder/chew guard was at first fairly good and nothing seemed to go wrong.However,recently my fears that it would somehow cause a serious injury or at the very least be unsafe were confirmed.So far it has only been a little bit of fur loss,and while that may not seem like a big problem to some people(though there are definitely people who would understand why this is a serious issue)it is definitely a concerning thing to see.

When it comes to metal holders,there are definitely some serious problems that can come along with a few minor ones.Hamsters(and most likely other animals as well)can get cuts,mild irritation,fur loss,ripped toenails,broken or pulled out teeth,and on top of all that there's also a risk for bumblefoot.

Luckily I've already got a smaller bottle and velcro to replace this bottle,but not everyone would have these things on hand to replace an unsafe bottle holder.A bowl could also work in a pinch,but again it isn't likely that someone(especially newer hamster owners)would simply have the ideal hamster water bowl that is shallow enough and small enough.Because of this,these holders do create a major disaster that not everyone would be prepared for.

[Pebbles82]

So sorry to hear the bottle holder is a problem. You are right, some of them aren't safe - even home-made ones. Do you have a picture of the metal one you have so others can be careful not to get one? I made one (a temporary measure) the other day out of a cut down plastic bottle with stones in the bottom and was fretting for ages about possible sharp edges but got it right eventually by sticking a piece of card over the spout hole to cover any edges. It wouldn't work long term though. Some are also heavy and can be pulled over and there's one with a hidey hole in that a Syrian could get trapped in. Velcro sounds good.

[Drago]

I completely agree, I used to have one of these holders when I was a newer ham owner, but quickly changed it due to the fact that my ham was constantly climbing it and trying to escape. Thank you for posting this!

[AmityvilleHams]

I don't have a picture at the moment,but I will try and get one later!

There is definitely some information that doesn't get mentioned much,which is very unfortunate

[Jennie F]

I've noticed Khaleesi going at the bars around the bottle holder in her new cage over the last few days. She chewed off some of the coating on the metal holder that hooks onto the cage, so I moved it higher out of reach. Then she keeps chewing at the bars near the bottle, so ive removed the bottle and now she just has one bottle in her other cage.

[velma]

I use a metal bottle holder/hanger in my kerry tank but luckily both Syrians to use it have been pretty lazy but yes, like everything in a cage really, it's worth keeping an eye to make sure your hamster isn't using it in a way that could cause them harm but that's not to say they are inherently bad.