Hamster Central - View Single Post - Help! Need hamster tips, how to get them to chew?

Ria P · 04-07-2021, 09:36 AM

Hi and welcome to HC!

Whimzee dog chews are usually liked by hamsters and they often take them to their nest. None of ours chew the hamster chews aside from a stick maybe. Cardboard and toys made from cardboard with a treat hidden inside is another popular chew. Some hamsters love ripping up cardboard.

How big is your hamster's wheel? It needs to be 26/28cm for a Syrian hamster.

You could scatter feed your hamster mix because they like to forage for their food which would keep her entertained for a while.

A hamster needs a big house to build a big nest and keep a hoard in.

Enrichment for a Syrian needs to be of the correct size. Rat or guinea pig sized is often more suitable because houses, hodes, toys like tunnels etc sold in hamster size are often too small and aimed at dwarfs.

Out of cage time in a playground is important to most hamsters and she may be asking to come out.
Do not use a hamster ball though as they are dangerous and cause hamsters unnecessary stress.

Deep substrate or a burrowing area is another must to keep them happy.

It always takes me quite a while to find out what a hamster wants, how they want their enclosure set up and what they like to do.
I usually cover the aforementioned basics first and if they're still not happy exchange single pieces of their furniture which something else to see if they prefer that.

I get it all wrong sometimes and the hamster throws a tantrum.

There is a thread called "Let's see your cages" on the Forum under Housing to get ideas about set ups.

04-07-2021, 09:36 AM
Ria P House of Hamsters Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 7,103	Re: Help! Need hamster tips, how to get them to chew? Hi and welcome to HC! Whimzee dog chews are usually liked by hamsters and they often take them to their nest. None of ours chew the hamster chews aside from a stick maybe. Cardboard and toys made from cardboard with a treat hidden inside is another popular chew. Some hamsters love ripping up cardboard. How big is your hamster's wheel? It needs to be 26/28cm for a Syrian hamster. You could scatter feed your hamster mix because they like to forage for their food which would keep her entertained for a while. A hamster needs a big house to build a big nest and keep a hoard in. Enrichment for a Syrian needs to be of the correct size. Rat or guinea pig sized is often more suitable because houses, hodes, toys like tunnels etc sold in hamster size are often too small and aimed at dwarfs. Out of cage time in a playground is important to most hamsters and she may be asking to come out. Do not use a hamster ball though as they are dangerous and cause hamsters unnecessary stress. Deep substrate or a burrowing area is another must to keep them happy. It always takes me quite a while to find out what a hamster wants, how they want their enclosure set up and what they like to do. I usually cover the aforementioned basics first and if they're still not happy exchange single pieces of their furniture which something else to see if they prefer that. I get it all wrong sometimes and the hamster throws a tantrum. There is a thread called "Let's see your cages" on the Forum under Housing to get ideas about set ups.