Screech does not chew

[ianpallen]

Hi, I placed some treats in a cardboard eggbox to give to screech. I was hoping she would chew the box to get to the treats. She came out of her house and was sniffing all around the eggbox. She had a couple of bits of food out of her muesli bowl and kept sniffing around the eggbox. She did not even try to chew the box at all. Her teth seem normal length and yellow as they should be. They are not growing too long. She sits there biting, eating and chewing food normally. She nas never chewed toilet rolls either. I wonder if she does not like cardboard of any kind.

[Skeever]

The part of the egg carton I put in three months ago still lives, but it has been nibbled at a few times. Toilet paper rolls do nothing for my ham. He does love being put in a box , especially one with compartments, and either scurrying around or if the box is partially closed, chewing through it with zest. Why that box I dunno....your hammy sounds fine though....

[ianpallen]

Thanks. At least she is 'normal'. I was getting a bit worried as most hamsters chew and Screech doesnt.
I am worrying for nothing. lol

[Skeever]

You'll worry more about nothing in days to come. Part of owning a hammy It comes with the territory, lol

[Esmy]

Most of my hamsters only chew food. lol Though Penny is chewing her tank. But none chew cardboard or wood chews really, even though I do keep them in there still.

[kyrilliondaemon]

Most of our hams aren't too chewy Eggbiscuit is but she's in a minority of one... The rest either never chew or rarely chew, none chew loads and while we do have a ham with dental issues it wasn't caused by anything to do with how much she chewed (its most likely just the latest issue caused by her incurable vitamin deficiency)

[Willow Wisp]

Willow totally ignores egg boxes and cardboard tubes etc. she also ignores all the little apple branches that I lovingly cut from my trees for her to nibble on and all the chew toys she has been given too But she will quite happily sit and chew the plastic ends off her tubes, little minx LOL

[DrKMcK]

Every piece of toilet roll or box I have ever put in a hammy's cage has never been chewed. My hams will chew on blocks of 2X4 which I cut up into blocks. They have the Harlan Teklad blocks as part of their diet and those are nice and hard. They get a tiny milk bone every 2 weeks and a Teenie Greenie once a month. Hamsteroids are small mineral chews and my hams love them. They get apple sticks too. All of this keeps their teeth trimmed nicely. When I had gerbils it was a whole 'nother story. Those guys will chew ANYTHING! Give a gerbil a box, and in no time flat you have this soft bedding. Give gerbils carefresh or Boxo and they chew it to twice it's normal size. It's amazing to see.

[BrainGirl]

Hamsteroids?! MUST. HAVE.

I agree though, my hams are not big chewers. If I really get worried about their lack of chewing I will give them a short piece of a Dentastix for dogs, or a safe dog biscuit

[DrKMcK]

These are the rest of the photos for my prior post. There are hamsters who love to chew anything they can get a hold of. And there are hammies who nearly never chew on their toys or cages and accessories. Most hammies fall somewhere in between. Make sure they have things to chew and don't stress it if they don't chew things to slivers.