Bar Chewing...

[kyrilliondaemon]

I do think theres more benefit in the floor space when its all in one big cage (I'm personally all for either all the space in one big area or at the least having one big module with the smaller ones), but when he's been bar chewing this long I'm not sure the difference would stop him to be honest.
If you do get another extension and want it already with the tube holes I'd reccomend either the duna fun large or the hamster heaven (ferplast and savic tubes work together perfectly) - they've got enough space to be suitable alone and then the ham has the running space in one area thats so beneficial to them

That said... I'd be considering a tank or bin cage with a meshed lid at this point. There are some really nice big bins out there though, or I guess if you got a duna fun large at worst you could remove the bars and use it as a tank instead if the ham did keep bar chewing.

[Esmy]

I just switched my bar chewing boy into a tank. He had a large cage and a lot of stimation, but he was chewing I think to get my attention. Based on my hamsters' behaviors, I think it's tanks from now on.

[corrieberry]

Well, he definitely has to have a non-barred cage. I've been looking at my options, and would prefer to get him a fishtank, but I have no choice at the moment but to make a bin cage. I can't express how devastated I am, I love being able to interact with him through the bars, but I think that is what has encouraged this behaviour in the first place. Molly has a cage that opens from the top and it's so hard to get her out - Pippin will be worse, he is less tame than she is. If anyone has any suggestions for a non-barred side opening in a bin cage, I would really appreciate your advice!

Thanks.

[corrieberry]

Wellll...Molly has started chewing too.

[Simba88]

Hello I know just how you feel simba chewed all night long, have you thought about a DIY cage. I made mine out of and old chest of draws so didn't cost much and looks great. Just a sheet of plastic and coat of paint.
Hope it all goes well for you and your cutie.

[corrieberry]

I stayed up for hours last night and they now both have bin cages. I'm still a little sad that I can't touch them through the sides (I decided not to mesh the sides because I think it would be defeating the point of the whole exercise), but they were both pretty excited to have new homes, so hopefully they will forgive me!

[kyrilliondaemon]

I'm glad they have bin cages now

[Rubyslippers13]

Interesting thread.

My baby syrian (7 weeks old) has been quiet as a mouse (lol) since I got him. He's now suddenly decided to be brave and come out more...straight to the corner of the cage to chew the bars! He climbs up first...has a wander round the cage walls....then back down to chew more!

I get a tad distressed when I hear him as none of my other hamsters EVER did this and I'm worried he's protesting against something....but what! lol

He's not tame yet. I'm only at the feeding by hand stage. His cage is big and full of stuff.

Oh well...

xx

[HamsterAdviceandLove]

Hi Skeever. Try buying a bigger cage, preferably a 80x50cm one. Those are the ones that the RSPCA recommend for a Syrian Hamster! Try buying new toys as well..... sometimes hamsters can get bored. Their teeth also need gnawing as they grow continuously, so buy more wooden chew toys for it as well. Hope I helped x

[orion7]

Hey all, first post for me here. But I to am having trouble with bar chewing with our new ham Tinker. He's not fully tame yet, he will only tolerate being handled if he can regularly return to his cage to feel safe, and won't let himself be picked up. Yet he seems to chew bars to get attention, and consequently I'm not entirely sure what he's after! Cage wise, he has:
2 rotastak kidney units,
1 rs dome
2 towers
Half an rs triangular unit,
A 1x1x2 foot tank full of toys and a 12 inch rodent wheel,
An 80L create filled with a shavings an Timothy hay mixture for digging in
Plus tubes and more wheels and toys.

That should be enough to keep him occupied right? (This is downsized, after we removed the wire half of the triangular unit and the round half-wire rotostak unit to stop him chewing). We were getting concerned because he was getting a semi-permanent "smile" invented into his face from it... Any advice?


(Also, hello kyrillion, it's Chris from uni )