Afraid my hamster has cage rage

[Kshez127]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

If she is bar biting a lot then it could lead to tooth damage and she does sound stressed. Cypher had some good tips above for adjusting the cage layout. I would also add a large house - they do need somewhere dark to retreat to and to build a large cosy nest in. You could add a shoebox house with a bendy bridge over the door to make it darker inside. Cut the base out of the shoebox and keep the lid for a lift off roof - but don’t lift it off for the first 2 or 3 weeks. If you put a smelly treat inside eg cucumber or cheese it will tempt her to move in.

Something is unsettling her. It may be the environment needs adjusting and a house adding she can feel dark and safe in and have normal nesting habits. Another thing that can cause this stress behaviour is too much cleaning out or moving things in the cage or taking something away.

Normally you would not clean anything for two weeks after a cage move to let them settle. From now on I would mot do any cleaning out for two weeks and then after that just spot clean the pee maybe once a week but don’t disturb her nest or hoard. Also put lots of nesting material out - a big pile of torn up sheets of plain white toilet paper (I tear the sheets into strips lengthwise). Not actually in the house but just somewhere in top of the substrate so she can forage for it.

If she still doesn’t settle then it could be she is one of those hamsters who does need a lot more space - but I think it is just getting the environment right. But if the bar chewing becomes a real habit she may need to be in a non barred cage. I wouldn’t worry about taming too much right now - more about her getting settled in the cage.

Thankyou everyone!!
I have sorted her cage abit taken out the wooden hide she had because it was just completely pee stained and replaced it with a big shoe box on top of the substrate also added another cardboard hideout I made and a sock hammock I’ll try send some pics in again.. this morning I heard her digging or something inside the box so hopefully she’s making a nest.. I need to probably send you a picture in of her she’s only about 2 months but she is about the size of a small rat, she is a very very large female Syrian the breeder did warn me so when I get some money I’m going to invest in some large toys and some storage units to make a big play pen as I don’t want to use a ball. Thankyou guys much appreciated hopefully things will start to improve.

[Ria P]

What is a sock hammock? Any kind of fabric inside a hamster's cage isn't a good idea because hamsters may chew it and ingest it.

Cardboard tubes make good tunnels like a Pringles tube or the Tiny Friends sand tube.
Does she have a sandbath? Any container that fits is fine and people often use kiddies playsand, washed and baked because its cheap to buy. Syrians often pee in the sand which makes cleaning pee easy.

Whimzee dog chews, if not already mentioned, are usually liked by hamsters and some pet shops like Jolleys, sell them individually.

Sometimes hamsters can be difficult to please so you are not alone in your quest to keep yours happy.
Could you hamster proof part of a room maybe? It sounds like your hamster wants out of cage time.

As for bonding. In my experience, that can be somewhat onesided. What i mean is that, for example, i have bonded with my six hamsters and some of them will come to their door and want out soon as they see me, but....they don't want my company as such. One sees me as his means of transport to get to the free roaming room, another expects a mealworm at the end of my fingers and so on.

They're not interested in cuddles because i do try now and again to get them to sit on my arm while stroking them but they're off the second they get the chance to.
That's just the way they are. My lot anyway which is fine by me.

Well, one likes to sit on my hand to get a better view because she's nosy.