Hamster Central - View Single Post - Syrian constantly digging in corners / bar biting

Otis101 · 09-20-2020, 01:15 AM

Hi guys,

I’ve had my Syrian, Ellie, for about 3 weeks now and she just keeps trying to escape. She is in a Ikea detolf cage, large sand bath, 28cm wheel, multiple tunnels/hides and bedding almost up to the roof in half the cage (megazorb and kaytee clean and cosy). I’ve put in boredom breakers and she just doesn’t seem interested. She is scatter feed with pellets, seed mix and flower forage, and I have a kebob that I feed her fruit / veg from. I’ve also put in millet spray which she loved for the first night and now doesn’t seem interested in, and wheat spray which she ignored. Hoping to get some flax soon.

She is burrowing down to the bottom of the cage and, from the sound of it, constantly digging and biting the bar at the bottom of the cage. She also stands on the bedding and monkey bars / bites the wire at the top of the cage.

I left her to settle for about 3 days and then began trying to tame her. She is still a bit apprehensive but will take certain treats from me and has climbed on my hand once. I just don’t know what else she needs!

I have plans to revamp the cage and add in even more enrichment and substrates but am worried that if I do this all in one go it’ll stress her out? The only other thing I can think is that the cage was second hand (disinfected multiple times) but maybe there’s still smell that’s stressing her out? My other thought was that if I could free roam her she might be happier back in her cage at night, but I can’t pick her up yet and wasn’t sure if this would also stress her out?

Please help! I just want her to be happy.

09-20-2020, 01:15 AM
Otis101 Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 1	Syrian constantly digging in corners / bar biting Hi guys, I’ve had my Syrian, Ellie, for about 3 weeks now and she just keeps trying to escape. She is in a Ikea detolf cage, large sand bath, 28cm wheel, multiple tunnels/hides and bedding almost up to the roof in half the cage (megazorb and kaytee clean and cosy). I’ve put in boredom breakers and she just doesn’t seem interested. She is scatter feed with pellets, seed mix and flower forage, and I have a kebob that I feed her fruit / veg from. I’ve also put in millet spray which she loved for the first night and now doesn’t seem interested in, and wheat spray which she ignored. Hoping to get some flax soon. She is burrowing down to the bottom of the cage and, from the sound of it, constantly digging and biting the bar at the bottom of the cage. She also stands on the bedding and monkey bars / bites the wire at the top of the cage. I left her to settle for about 3 days and then began trying to tame her. She is still a bit apprehensive but will take certain treats from me and has climbed on my hand once. I just don’t know what else she needs! I have plans to revamp the cage and add in even more enrichment and substrates but am worried that if I do this all in one go it’ll stress her out? The only other thing I can think is that the cage was second hand (disinfected multiple times) but maybe there’s still smell that’s stressing her out? My other thought was that if I could free roam her she might be happier back in her cage at night, but I can’t pick her up yet and wasn’t sure if this would also stress her out? Please help! I just want her to be happy.