Extreme bar chewing

[LunaTheHamster1]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

The Marrakesch isn't that big really. Internally it's about 95cm by 45cm and quite low. I would think it may not be right for a highly active chewer of a female. Although not much to chew on.

Yes I was surprised Moonbeam has been happy in hers, no signs of stress behaviour like in her barred cage. With Moonbeam I think bar chewing was a habit she picked up from her previous owners, because if I put her jn a small cage with bars she will go mental chewing the bars, but if I put her in a travel carrier that is even smaller but has no bars, she is fine.

I was using the Marrakesh as an example of a cage with nothing on the inside that she was able to chew. Personally, I don't think it is really high enough for a syrian hamster but plenty of people use it for Syrian hamsters. I am making her an Ikea Komplement cage but until it is built and she has used it I didn't want to recommend it for bar chewers as in theory it should be ok but in practice I don't know yet.

[LunaTheHamster1]

Also, just want to say I also tried Moonbeam in the zoozone large which is a few cms shorter than the marrakesh but I had to fill in all the groves/holes with epoxy resin so she had nothing to chew on. I thought I better mention that too just in case you were thinking of trying a cage like that. Obviously every hamster is different so others may be ok in those types of cages.

[Bookish]

She’s had a tank and a 3 1/2 by 2 foot vivarium as it was spare and bigger, she still chewed both as she managed to get the edges of the glass.

She’s back in the Alaska with a 12 inch wheel, she’s my fourth Syrian, and I’ve never had a hamster bar chew like this. It seems once she starts she gets stuck in the cycle. I’ve tried covering the bars with the grass mats and she just removes them so she can get to the bars

[Bookish]

Originally Posted by LunaTheHamster1

Also, just want to say I also tried Moonbeam in the zoozone large which is a few cms shorter than the marrakesh but I had to fill in all the groves/holes with epoxy resin so she had nothing to chew on. I thought I better mention that too just in case you were thinking of trying a cage like that. Obviously every hamster is different so others may be ok in those types of cages.

I have a zoo zone but it is my emergency travel cage for my hedgehog and with the zoo zones being so hard to get hold of I can’t really risk her chewing it, and the roof is

[Bookish]

Originally Posted by LunaTheHamster1

Yes I was surprised Moonbeam has been happy in hers, no signs of stress behaviour like in her barred cage. With Moonbeam I think bar chewing was a habit she picked up from her previous owners, because if I put her jn a small cage with bars she will go mental chewing the bars, but if I put her in a travel carrier that is even smaller but has no bars, she is fine.

I was using the Marrakesh as an example of a cage with nothing on the inside that she was able to chew. Personally, I don't think it is really high enough for a syrian hamster but plenty of people use it for Syrian hamsters. I am making her an Ikea Komplement cage but until it is built and she has used it I didn't want to recommend it for bar chewers as in theory it should be ok but in practice I don't know yet.

Are there instructions for the komplement cage anywhere that you know of?
I’m happy making a DIY cage

[LunaTheHamster1]

This is the video, instructions and diagram in the description IKEA KOMPLEMENT | DIY New Hamster Cage Tutorial 🐹 Cheap & easy - YouTube

[Bookish]

Originally Posted by LunaTheHamster1

This is the video, instructions and diagram in the description IKEA KOMPLEMENT | DIY New Hamster Cage Tutorial 🐹 Cheap & easy - YouTube

Thank you at this point I’m willing to try anything, I did consider taking her to the vet to see if there is underlying pain anywhere but I think it’s a repetitive cycle she’s managed to get into.

[NanaBeaver]

My wee girl is just the same. She has cost me a fortune changing cages and playpens, not to mention all the toys, chews and new foods I've tried her with. At the moment she has a cage that offers 800 sq inches of ground space, good deep substrate and an 11 inch wheel, plus no end of toys tunnels and hides and still she bar chews.
I contemplating getting an Ikea Detolf.

[Pebbles82]

Originally Posted by NanaBeaver

My wee girl is just the same. She has cost me a fortune changing cages and playpens, not to mention all the toys, chews and new foods I've tried her with. At the moment she has a cage that offers 800 sq inches of ground space, good deep substrate and an 11 inch wheel, plus no end of toys tunnels and hides and still she bar chews.
I contemplating getting an Ikea Detolf.

Don't get a detolf. A chewer can gnaw at the inner bars in that. And the chipboard/wood ends! You'd be better off with a straight glass tank or the Marrakesch mentioned.

[Pebbles82]

Originally Posted by Bookish

She’s had a tank and a 3 1/2 by 2 foot vivarium as it was spare and bigger, she still chewed both as she managed to get the edges of the glass.

She’s back in the Alaska with a 12 inch wheel, she’s my fourth Syrian, and I’ve never had a hamster bar chew like this. It seems once she starts she gets stuck in the cycle. I’ve tried covering the bars with the grass mats and she just removes them so she can get to the bars

It's a game isn't it? Have you tried weaving strips of cardboard through the bars? At least then they have to chew the cardboard away first.

One question - does she have a big house that's dark inside? They can often settle more when they have something like a large labyrinth house so they can have normal burrow behaviours.