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Old 01-18-2021, 05:50 PM   #11
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

I think the house needs to be bigger. It sounds like the trixie Leif one by the sound of it abd that is a bit cramped inside for a Syrian. A single room house 25 x 35 would be fine but a Syrian sized labyrinth house is usually about 42 x 30 with larger rooms inside. I have used the Rodipet one a few times and hamsters love it.

Apart from that it sounds like she is in a routine and just sees the monkey barring as part of it but it does sound a bit like running round and round stress behaviours if it is very repetitive and she doesn’t spend long on each activity. Although the cage is not that tall, she could hurt herself falling on the edge of the wood house. I put hemp mat on top of house roofs and shelves which cushions a fall and covers hard edges. You could also put it over the bendy bridge.

If she doesn’t seem frantic then she may just be having fun monkey barring. But it does sound like she needs a bigger cage.

In terms of when she wakes up, that is their most active time. You can get her in a routine of being woken earlier for feeding time - say 7 or 8 pm - with a bit of noisy cage rattling gently, when putting her food out and get her out then for some playpen time. That will give her more chance to burn off energy and taming time. They are in a different “phase” during the evening and often less maverick. Once it gets to late at night they are in night mode - their active time for foraging and running etc. If she doesn’t seem to want to come out earlier, despite being woken at feeding time, you could tempt her into a tube with a smelly treat at the far end - they will usually just walk into the tube to get the treat then put your hands over each end of the tube abd lift her out that way. If the playpen isn’t nearby then it’s an idea to have a box or hamster ball next to the cage that you can let her out into by opening up one end of the tube and carry her to the playpen that way. Carrying them in the tube can be a bit hazardous as they can push hard against your hand and make you jump or even push past yourself hand and fall.

Is your carpenter talking about a wood cage? I don’t think that would be a good idea or she could chew through it. Melamine board would be ok though.
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Old 01-19-2021, 03:43 PM   #12
timidLittleHamster
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

This is her house: Trixie 6201 Natural Living Leif Labyrinth House 35 ラ 11 ラ 25 cm: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies
Yeah I can see how it may be small, I got the biggest I found. I can definitely get her a bigger one.

I haven't had the chance to have a carpenter talk to me yet, I've contacted 5, no one picks up the phone. I put a job on MyBuilder.com and contacted yet another carpentry, waiting for a reply...
Thanks for mentioning the materials, that's important. I had a look at the Linnmon desk top materials and since lots of people use that table top for DIY cages, I'll mention that sort of material to the carpenter. I think HoppingHammy's cage uses Melamine, from what I've seen someone say in another forum thread anyway.

I scattered pieces of toilet paper, scattered her seeds and put some inside of a chewer and that kept her busy for a bit but she always gets back to monkey barring and biting the cage. I replaced her sand bath tupperware for a ceramic container, so she's not biting plastic and possibily eating it but if it's not that, then she's trying to bite the walls of the cage...

It's stressful but I don't know what else to do, I need a carpenter to answer me, that's all I want
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Old 01-20-2021, 12:13 PM   #13
timidLittleHamster
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

I got a reply from 2 carpenters and they're not interested in taking the job. One of them I spoke on the phone with, asked me for a budget, I said £300 and he said it would cost a lot more than that and that he was not interested.
I've been checking cages online and there's nothing big enough to make me feel confident in changing...

There's only one that I found which is from this website: Extra Large Indoor Guinea Pig Cage with Optional Roof

but the height is the same as my current enclosure. I'm worried I'll spend £249 and have the same problem.
I have no idea what to do, this is driving me insane...
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Old 01-20-2021, 01:08 PM   #14
Maker
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

First I would say relax

Weave some cardboard in and out of the bars for her. Use the hemp mat or straw hammocks as wall paper on the inside. I sew it on. Let her chew that.

But she may be picking up on you being stressed

Do this and make a shoebox house with one big room like suggested already then let her settle. Give her a couple of weeks with you relaxing about it and see what happens. The shoebox is good as it’s card and she can chew it

Scatter feed half her food, fill all the corners with stuff she can chew, cork logs, toilet roll tube. Basically give her chewable wall/bar coverings wherever you can. And then RELAX
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Old 01-20-2021, 01:57 PM   #15
Ria P
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

Could you possibly set up a free roaming area in a hall for example?
None of my hamsters ever liked a playpen, they either tried to get out or sat and sulked.
Free roaming they love. I put a blanket down, close all the doors, secure the stairs with playpen panels and put down all sorts of floor toys like long plastic tubes, a spare wheel, cardboard boxes with holes cut out etc.
They love to run around and climb over me.
One Syrian hamster goes a bit over the top to get my attention when he sees me and monkey bars, climbs, rattles his door, anything to let me know that he wants out but calms down after a good run around and runs on his wheel.
He doesn't do it when i'm away at work overnight and my partner looks after him who doesn't let him out because he struggles to catch him.
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Old 01-20-2021, 02:38 PM   #16
timidLittleHamster
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maker View Post
First I would say relax

Weave some cardboard in and out of the bars for her. Use the hemp mat or straw hammocks as wall paper on the inside. I sew it on. Let her chew that.

But she may be picking up on you being stressed

Do this and make a shoebox house with one big room like suggested already then let her settle. Give her a couple of weeks with you relaxing about it and see what happens. The shoebox is good as it’s card and she can chew it

Scatter feed half her food, fill all the corners with stuff she can chew, cork logs, toilet roll tube. Basically give her chewable wall/bar coverings wherever you can. And then RELAX
Thank you Maker, those are all very good tips, I'll do that and see if anything changes. I'll try to destress, it just makes me very sad to see her sad or stressed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
Could you possibly set up a free roaming area in a hall for example?
I did this yesterday evening, I wanted her to not feel confined so she had the whole living room to herself, I just blocked the hallway and a heater using the playpen panels. It worked all right, she walked quite a bit, I gave her seeds, a long cardboard tunnel, a carboard box, a bridge and her wheel but she only used the tunnel and the box. After some time she started scratching the panels so I put her back in her cage. She must have been tired because she sat for a few minutes on top of her house. Even so, she monkey barred the cage later on and tried to bite a new side of the cage.
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Old 01-20-2021, 03:18 PM   #17
Ria P
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

Quote:
Originally Posted by timidLittleHamster View Post
Even so, she monkey barred the cage later on and tried to bite a new side of the cage.
My hamster does that sometimes after free roaming. He tries to get out again and sometimes i let him out a second time depending on how many other hamsters are waiting for their free roaming turn.
If another hamster or two want out i give him something to distract him like a nut to crack and then turn the light off. I don't really get that stressed over monkey barring and bar chewing and the hamsters soon pack it in when they don't get my attention or i leave the room.
I've put a boredom breaker mat up on the inside of his cage ceiling to stop him from monkey barring in a certain area where he could drop onto a wooden ladder so he climbs up and chews on the side of the mat instead.
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Old 02-12-2021, 06:52 AM   #18
timidLittleHamster
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

To give an update on this:
I contacted Manor Pet Housing regarding their guinea pig enclosure and asked if they could make a custom one for me and they said yes! So I ordered an enclosure with these measurements: 160cm wide by 80cm deep by 60cm tall.
It took 3 weeks to arrive and during that time my hamster chewed 2 holes on the cage, chewed the bars a lot, there was nothing I could do to stop her. Carboard she would instantly chew to pieces, putting things to cover the holes, she would take them out of the way, giving more toys, chews, etc, she wouldn't care for it. It was painful I'll tell you that but, alas, the cage arrived and I think she really liked it!

She explored the cage a lot, ran around, made burrows, you name it. She didn't even care for my treats, she was too busy haha. She still jumped upwards against the plexi glass all around the cage but I think that subsided as she got used to the new environment. I'm hoping to see her doing that less tonight.

I'm glad someone would be willing to make a custom enclosure, otherwise my second choice would have been a tank from Jungle Pets, even though that's more expensive than mine was for this size, I think.
This enclosure costed me £239.

From now on, I'll have fun decorating the inside. I'm thinking of making a rainforest theme. I'm so happy and relieved that this nightmare is over!
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Old 02-12-2021, 07:27 AM   #19
yasmin_the_hamster
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

I am so happy to hear you have got your cage. It looks beautiful!

I have the same problem with my syrian female, 3,5 months. I switched from Alaska to Detolf and at the end I built her diy cage 200*55 cm, which I am still preparing for her. I simply know she is unhappy in Detolf, chewing bars obsessively, constantly wanting out (even though I let her free roam an hour per day at minimum). It is not uncommon for very active hamsters to be unhappy in normal sized cages above minimal requirements, especially with low height of bedding. I feel with you and your struggles - I was also very stressed that my little hamster is so unhappy and that I cannot do much. I am glad you found a solution too. I hope she will enjoy her new cage! : )
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Old 02-12-2021, 08:02 AM   #20
timidLittleHamster
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Default Re: Hello and help with hamster biting large cage

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. My hamster has that age as well! When she was a pup she was happy but then she outgrew her cage very quickly. I'm glad I didn't get a Detolf, I saw some people on the forum still having issues with the Detolf and their hamsters.
Your cage is even bigger than mine, it will be an absolute jungle for your little girl! I hope she's very happy in it, she's very lucky to have such a dedicated owner!
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