Help!!!

WelshHammi · 12-16-2016, 03:53 PM

Hi

I have a very naughty little syrian girl called Pickles! She is in a Hamster haven with a massive wheel and as many toys as her heart desires. She comes out an roams around most evenings (if she is awake).
However lately she has been chewing her bars!
I have tried the olive oil, blocking the area with treats. EVERYTHING but she just wont stop! I have put cardboard over the area and she destroys it out of the way and starts chewing again.

I make toys with toilet roll holders so she has to work for her food to keep her busy but as soon as she has discovered the food she back to the bars!

I can not afford a new cage! Do you think if i put mesh on the area that would help as it will be smaller and she will not be able to reach it.
I don't want to use lemon juice as i have heard its bad!
Any help or advice I am new to this!

Rads · 12-16-2016, 04:42 PM

Pip used to chew her bars as did Forrest, it seems to be a phase that they go through, I tried covering Pip's bars etc but she just worked out how to defeat my plans.
Pip has ceased chewing the bars, she actively did it for about 4=6 weeks I have always made sure she has plenty of enrichment in her cage but they are very independent little creatures and do what they like to.

chesca_27 · 12-16-2016, 04:46 PM

Could you try scatter-feeding her? How deep is her bedding? Make sure she is able to dig and tunnel about in her cage.

I would keep putting the cardboard over the bars. This is a thread about managing bar-chewers. It might give you some suggestions on what to do. The key thing is not to reward bar-chewing with any treats or attention.

I wouldn't put mesh down, as it is often very sharp and she could cut her nose on the edges. With the Hamster Heaven's bar spacing, there is no need to.

Please don't use lemon juice, as it is toxic to hamsters because their stomachs cannot digest the high acidity.

WelshHammi · 12-16-2016, 04:57 PM

I scatter her food always! she has lots and lots of substrate as she likes to gather it all around where she sleeps into a giant heap!
Im possibly looking into a bin cage however as she is a chewer I am worried she will chew the plastic?? thoughts?
She knows what she is doing an find it very funny to make as much noise as possible! little madam but cant help but love her little face and want to make sure im doing everything I can!

AmityvilleHams · 12-16-2016, 05:06 PM

She probably won't chew the plastic.Bin cages could be a great idea,as they're very cheap and not difficult to make!You can even expand them if she needs more space with very little extra work

WelshHammi · 12-16-2016, 05:31 PM

What size would i need?
I saw one 64l? is that any good?

AmityvilleHams · 12-16-2016, 05:46 PM

Think in floor space,not liters or gallons etc.If you start with a single bin around 80 cm x 50 cm,that is a good start,but you can add on as needed just cutting in windows with something like a wood burning knife and attach bins with zip ties.The process is similar to normal bin cage making,but instead of attaching mesh you attach the other bin or bins!At least one needs to be tall enough to fit a wheel,but the rest can be a bit shorter.

Fluffagrams · 12-16-2016, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WelshHammi

What size would i need?
I saw one 64l? is that any good?

A 64L bin will actually work out smaller internally than the existing Hamster Heaven that you've got so you'd probably have to make sacrifices in the toys that you include if you were wanting to go with that size.

There are larger sizes bins available and I think Really Useful Boxes do an 84L or a 145L but it's worth just double checking the internal dimensions on those before you buy. There's also the largest Ikea Samla which is often recommended but I'm not sure what the dimensions would be on those.

The Really Useful Boxes are made of a quality plastic though so are going to withstand more chewing than a cheaper bin might. It may also be worth thinking about using a mesh with a smaller grid such as a 6mm to make it harder for her to find a point to start chewing.

WelshHammi · 12-17-2016, 05:40 AM

If i bought the 6mm mesh could I attach it to the bars on this cage as that way she couldn't get to the bars and it would be too small for her to chew!?
She loves her cage she has everything she wants I am going to add in a sand bath see if she likes that.
I have looked at the dimensions of salma which is 76 x 56 which is ok but cant get to an ikea and want something to stop her ASAP!

AmityvilleHams · 12-17-2016, 05:58 AM

Can you get anywhere else that sells similar sized bins?If so that would be a much better solution than meshing a cage.