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CM21 · 08-11-2021, 11:56 AM

I bought a hamster a little over 3 months ago. She came from a small cage with bars all around, roughly 40cmx20cm possibly smaller. I knew she would be a bar biter as this was her behaviour in the pet shop so I bought her a plastic guinea pig cage with a wire top (100cmx55cm) to prevent this behaviour. After two/three weeks, she began biting the nozzle on her water bottle so I had to replace it with a water bowl which she immediately took very well and drank from it without issue. I bought a shelf to replace the hole where the bottle was which she also enjoyed. However, She began biting the top bars by standing on the shelf.

I thought she may possibly be bored even though she had many wooden furniture, forage flower/grass packs, toys, wooden chew sticks, arches and cardboard tubes. So I bought a climbing frame to add some entertainment and also added way more substrate for her to burrow in. This did not help and she consistently used the shelf to bite the top bars. So I bought her whimzee dog chews, extra wooden sticks and toys. This helped for a short period.

I decided to remove the shelf as it was becoming unbearable and filled the hole with a wooden chew stick. I then thought she wanted to explore so I start letting her out in my room after she got used to handling. She was super happy with this for a while as she can do what she likes in my room without escaping. However, once she got a taste for freedom, she start using her climbing frame to bite the top bars again. I bought her whimzee dog chews, extra wooden sticks and dog gravy biscuits which was recommended by many hamster forums I read. This also help for a short while.

I thought maybe I wasn’t given her enough time to roam so I extended her free time to an hour then to two hours in the evening (sometimes 2/3 hours). She’s generally allowed do anything she pleases in my room as I have blocked up the one corner where she could potentially escape. She eventually only start bar biting for a few minutes and gave up so I could deal with that. She then grew tired of free time in my room so I introduced her to the landing and bathroom. This really helped with bar biting as it almost became non-existent for a short period but it eventually starts again.

As soon as she started again, I decided right she clearly doesn’t spend much time burrowing so maybe she just needs more tunnels to explore the bottom of her cage. I bought a tunnel system and buried it under her substrate with the others to allow more access and encourage her to burrow more. She loved it for a day or two then back to bar biting.

She’s loves to climb and be up high so I felt slightly guilty that I took her shelf away and bought her a hammock which she loves but I had to remove it so she can’t reach the top because she driving me mad!!

She also has access to a sand bath with about 2/3cm of sand because she loves to dig in it. Although this behaviour has also become less since free roaming. Her substrate is easily 10cm on one side with her tunnels and arch underneath. She scatter fed daily sometimes in toilet tubes.

It’s starting to stress me out. I spend my free time in the evening letting her out and I feel like no matter what I buy or do, it’s just not enough for her. While I’m bloody mentally exhausted trying to keep her from getting bored. Letting her out in the evening was fun at first but now I regret it because she doesn’t seem to enjoy anything anymore and then I don’t enjoy spending time with her. I dread going to my room in the evenings because she just wants to get out and bar bites. Btw, I live in a shared house therefore I can’t move her to another room. To be honest, I’m at my wits end with her. I have done everything for her and I’m an animal student so I made sure I was giving her the best home which satisfied her.

Any ideas what to do? I know it’s a natural behaviour in captives to chew bars but I just can’t put up with it on a consistent level. I got her for companionship and to reduce my anxiety but the constant reading and trying to find new ways to keep her entertained is actually giving me anxiety at this stage. She get bored way too easily and I’m out of ideas!!

08-11-2021, 11:56 AM
CM21 Newborn Pup Join Date: Aug 2021 Posts: 1	Easily bored hamster, please help I bought a hamster a little over 3 months ago. She came from a small cage with bars all around, roughly 40cmx20cm possibly smaller. I knew she would be a bar biter as this was her behaviour in the pet shop so I bought her a plastic guinea pig cage with a wire top (100cmx55cm) to prevent this behaviour. After two/three weeks, she began biting the nozzle on her water bottle so I had to replace it with a water bowl which she immediately took very well and drank from it without issue. I bought a shelf to replace the hole where the bottle was which she also enjoyed. However, She began biting the top bars by standing on the shelf. I thought she may possibly be bored even though she had many wooden furniture, forage flower/grass packs, toys, wooden chew sticks, arches and cardboard tubes. So I bought a climbing frame to add some entertainment and also added way more substrate for her to burrow in. This did not help and she consistently used the shelf to bite the top bars. So I bought her whimzee dog chews, extra wooden sticks and toys. This helped for a short period. I decided to remove the shelf as it was becoming unbearable and filled the hole with a wooden chew stick. I then thought she wanted to explore so I start letting her out in my room after she got used to handling. She was super happy with this for a while as she can do what she likes in my room without escaping. However, once she got a taste for freedom, she start using her climbing frame to bite the top bars again. I bought her whimzee dog chews, extra wooden sticks and dog gravy biscuits which was recommended by many hamster forums I read. This also help for a short while. I thought maybe I wasn’t given her enough time to roam so I extended her free time to an hour then to two hours in the evening (sometimes 2/3 hours). She’s generally allowed do anything she pleases in my room as I have blocked up the one corner where she could potentially escape. She eventually only start bar biting for a few minutes and gave up so I could deal with that. She then grew tired of free time in my room so I introduced her to the landing and bathroom. This really helped with bar biting as it almost became non-existent for a short period but it eventually starts again. As soon as she started again, I decided right she clearly doesn’t spend much time burrowing so maybe she just needs more tunnels to explore the bottom of her cage. I bought a tunnel system and buried it under her substrate with the others to allow more access and encourage her to burrow more. She loved it for a day or two then back to bar biting. She’s loves to climb and be up high so I felt slightly guilty that I took her shelf away and bought her a hammock which she loves but I had to remove it so she can’t reach the top because she driving me mad!! She also has access to a sand bath with about 2/3cm of sand because she loves to dig in it. Although this behaviour has also become less since free roaming. Her substrate is easily 10cm on one side with her tunnels and arch underneath. She scatter fed daily sometimes in toilet tubes. It’s starting to stress me out. I spend my free time in the evening letting her out and I feel like no matter what I buy or do, it’s just not enough for her. While I’m bloody mentally exhausted trying to keep her from getting bored. Letting her out in the evening was fun at first but now I regret it because she doesn’t seem to enjoy anything anymore and then I don’t enjoy spending time with her. I dread going to my room in the evenings because she just wants to get out and bar bites. Btw, I live in a shared house therefore I can’t move her to another room. To be honest, I’m at my wits end with her. I have done everything for her and I’m an animal student so I made sure I was giving her the best home which satisfied her. Any ideas what to do? I know it’s a natural behaviour in captives to chew bars but I just can’t put up with it on a consistent level. I got her for companionship and to reduce my anxiety but the constant reading and trying to find new ways to keep her entertained is actually giving me anxiety at this stage. She get bored way too easily and I’m out of ideas!!