Obsessive cage biting - please help!

[RolyRocks]

Hello again,

I know I have previously asked for help and advice on this subject but unfortunately the cage biting has got worse...

Every night Roly goes mad chewing on the bars to the point it sounds like he is tugging on the bars trying to break free! I have the Ferplast Criceti 15 Syrian Hamster Home and although I would have loved to have gone bigger, I unfortunately don't have the space in my bedroom. He has a very large wooden wheel and other little accessories, tunnels, chew toys, seed sticks etc..
He has a play pen but he didn't appear to enjoy it, if anything he looked a little stressed so I stopped using it, but he does enjoy running in his ball.
In himself I would say he appears like a normal healthy happy little guy but I fear during the night he is either stressed, bored or just loves nothing more than chewing bars!! His teeth are fine BTW.

Any further suggestions on what I could do to help my little fella would be very much appreciated. I'm guessing the next step might have to be a new cage with NO bars!

Thanks in advance

[Charlie Ping]

Hey! I replied to your other post too! At this point, it does sound like you may need to convert if its that bad. The cage he's in at the moment is a tiny bit under the minimum. As I said before, each hamster has their own expectations on what size cage they want.

[Pebbles82]

Have you got a photo of your set up? Set ups can sometimes not be quite right for them as well. The Criceti is top opening as well and some hamsters don't like a hand coming from the top. It is a little bit on the small side for a Syrian. Once you have a big wheel in as well and he sounds like he is quite active. It's surprising how just another 20cm or so can make a more adapatable space and levels etc. Getting another cage is always a pain and an expense - but a very slightly bigger cage with front access may suit him - I'm thinking the Alaska cage. However it might be better to have a tank style in case the bar chewing has become a habit.

It probably is the cage and/or set up not being quite right for him. With our first syrian the only time he ever bar chewed was when he was in an unsuitable cage (rotostak thing with small compartments). The only other time was when he was extremely stressed after we left him at another house while on holiday.

I think the Maxi Duna Multy would be ideal - a bit bigger than you have now and a tank style without bars. It is top opening as well but a very large door on top so you can put your arm in at an angle. It's a lovely cage but not cheap.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-Ma...7400607&sr=8-1

Things are hard to get hold of at the moment - only one in stock and price is up a bit.

In terms of set up - it might be there isn't enough enrichment if the wheel takes up a lot of space. They need hidey places, a good depth of substrate, variety of tunnels, a shelf. And a house big enough to build a good sized nest in that's dark inside. They need somewhere dark to retreat to.

Something else could be stressing him too and making him want to chew his way out - often that can be too much cleaning out including throwing away his nest and hoard etc.

[RolyRocks]

Thank you both for your replies.

I thought when I first purchased that cage it looked huge in comparison to many you can buy in pet shops, but I see now that he probably needs some extra space.
I totally agree with what you said about the wheel. When I first placed it in the cage I was amazed at how much space it took up but I thought it was very important to have a large wheel. I went with the 28cm Trixie wooden wheel as it's nice and quiet but is there a better wheel that may take us less floor space?
He originally had a wooden house on his shelf that he just would not go in so I purchased a plastic one that he loved. Unfortunately (not because of pee) I noticed moisture inside which made his hoard go a bit soggy. I read it was condensation due to plastic houses lacking ventilation. He now sleeps and hoards his food in the corner under his shelf, not in a house... is this ok of should they definitely have a house to sleep in?
Bits i have given him for enrichment I tend to find he is not that interested in, like tubes/tunnels, bridges, ball, dangly chews toys.. maybe like you said I am just not setting them up right. I definitely think floor space is the main issue.
I took a look at the Alaska cage (currently out to stock) and I worked out it is only 6cm longer and 5cm taller than what he currently has (good price though!) And I agree with you, I think the cage biting has become more of a habit now.
The Maxi Duna Multy looks great with the plastic sides but is sadly just a little too expensive for me at the moment. I see it doesn't come with any shelves, would that be an issue or do hamsters not necessarily need shelves?

I worry that I make poor Roly sound like he is a very unhappy little hamster. I honestly don't think he is, he enjoys his food and fresh fruit and veg and over the past year I have bought him so many treats and toys.
They are all unique in their own ways and I think Roly is just a very quiet gentle little soul (apart from when he turns into a cage biting monster at night time ) !! He's a special little fella!

[Pebbles82]

Yes the problem with tank style cages is they don't have bars to attach shelves to but you can put a platform in. Something like this.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Natu...7494443&sr=8-3

Or you can just make one with a piece of wood and dowels for legs. Or some people make them out of ikea knuff magazine racks.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ha...w=1252&bih=554

Would you consider making a bin cage? There is a very good sized bin that's an ideal size for a Syrian - but that costs about £40. Then you need some mesh after cutting out panels to mesh.

Go Shopping - Really Useful Boxes - 145 litre Really Useful Box

The current cage isn't a bad size but slopes in quite a bit at the bottom and Syrian sized things can fill it up too much. He will be fine nesting under a shelf, but he's probably done that because the house was a bit small for a big enough nest. But if you do give them a nice big house that's dark inside they enjoy it and move in

Maybe you could tweak the current cage set up a bit and see if he settles. Does he have plenty of substrate? I often attach things to the roof of the cage - eg a sputnik or tunnel next to a shelf, but that's not possible with a top opening cage really.

Although 6cm doesn't sound a lot wider it's surprising how much extra floor space it gives. My Barney cage was 54 cm deep - only 4cm deeper than most 100 x 50 cages but it made a huge amount of difference as to how much you could fit in and that couple of inches extra all along the length of the cage did give a lot more floor area - wider shelf as well.

I agree though an 80cm cage isn't much of an upgrade, but you probably don't want to go as big as 100 cm if space is an issue. However the Alaska has another advantage - it has a big front opening door as well as a top door - that makes interaction a lot better with the hamster in a number of ways - you're on their level when you put things in/take things out, offer them treats etc. It also means you can use some of the roof to attach things to. The extra height means you can attach a wheel to the bars a bit higher up and more to one side (ie it isn't fouled up by the sloping base) and have more substrate underneath it so adds to useable floor area.

I have the Wood Trixie wheel as well and screwed it upside down to the roof. It's quite easy to do but you do need a couple of big flat washers. I had those from another toy that screwed to the bars.

Personally I would upgrade him to an Alaska or Barney cage - or make a bin cage. The more you can fit in, the more enrichment he has. A lot of people have found the Criceti 15 is a lovely cage but just not quite big enough for a Syrian. It would make a good playcage though for when you need to put him somewhere when cleaning etc. And a good travel cage if you ever go on holiday (I think it folds flat doesn't it?).

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[RolyRocks]

Thank you so much for all your help and advice, you have given me lots to think about.

I originally thought having a large roof opening would be a good idea but now I wish I could attach things to it. I also didn't think about being on their level when you give them treats etc, that makes perfect sense and I feel bad I hadn't thought about that. Your idea to attach the wheel to the top is brilliant, thanks for sharing the photos of how you did it.

I am going to do some more measuring and see how much bigger I can go. I still have a worry about him chewing the bars on a new cage but hopefully if he has more space he won't feel the need to do it. I will also look into bin cages, I had heard about them before but was never too sure what they were.

Are there any particular houses you would recommend to buy or do you make your own?

Thanks so much again for all your help. X

[Ria P]

I know a former bar chewing Syrian hamster who now lives in a Zoozone 2 cage which works for her. I meshed the lid for her because her human companion was worried that the gaps in the lid were too wide.

My Syrian lives in the Alaska which is a fab cage but i only learned about it after joining this forum and had bought a smaller, more expensive cage in a pet shop, believing it was huge because i didn't know any different.

My hamsters have the Ferplast guinea pig house (hamster size is way too small) which is inexpensive and a really good house. It also acts as a platform because it has a flat roof which is removable.

[RolyRocks]

Originally Posted by Ria P

My Syrian lives in the Alaska which is a fab cage but i only learned about it after joining this forum and had bought a smaller, more expensive cage in a pet shop, believing it was huge because i didn't know any different.

Hi, thanks for responding. I wonder, would it be possible for you to share a photo of your Alaska cage setup. I would like to see how much more you can do with it compared to the one I currently have. Also, could you please give me the dimensions of the very bottom of the base? Thanks.
Unfortunately it is currently out of stock!

[Ria P]

The very bottom of the base measures 30in x 16in which is the smallest part of the cage.
I don't think there's a huge difference between your cage and the Alaska. Maybe Roly isn't happy with the set up or wants more out of cage time. My guess is that he is trying to tell you something.
My Syrian Henry doesn't burrow at all but loves heights hence the wicker tunnel - bridge combo suspended across the cage. He perches on the little degus shelves like a parrot and has done so ever since he was a baby.
It took me a while and a few hamster tantrums later to suss that one out.
He hates playpens and just sits and sulks when put in one so that stopped quickly but he likes to free roam in a hamster proof room when he's in the mood which happens very infrequently but when he does want time out of his cage he really zooms around the room at speed.

Could you post a photo of your set up then people could have a look and maybe come up with suggestions.

What does Roly do in his cage? I wouldn't use a ball. They have little ventilation and can be stressful for hamsters trapped in one. They appear to enjoy themselves by running around but what else can they do. They are probably trying to get out. That's my opinion on hamster balls anyway.

[Ria P]

Forgot to add photo.