Hamster chewing wooden cage

[Chrissyajw]

Hi all,

I had a Syrian hamster in a bin age, wanted to give him an upgrade so bought the hexagonal paw hut as it’s much bigger , he has deep bedding and lots of enrichment and chews,

But despite this he keeps trying to chew his way out? I’m worried he will get through the wood and it was quite expensive,

Is there anything safe that I can coat the wood with to stop him chewing through? Or any idea what I can cover it with as it is the bits of wood that stick out in the corner, not just the base.

Any help is rlly appreciated as I really want to keep this cage as it is big and suits us perfectly despite the chewing 🤣

Thanks so much!! Chrissy x

[Ria P]

Hello and welcome to HC!

I wonder why your hamster tries to chew his way out.

Does he get enough out of cage time?

[heidii]

Certain textures, especially wood, are really desirable for hamsters as they wear down their teeth. Obvious issue is some cages, like the PawHut cage, are made from wood.

You could attempt to reduce the chewing of wood, or eliminate it completely. Ensure the hamster has A LOT of room to make intricate burrows, such as at least 6 inches of bedding across the entirety of the cage, or perhaps 10 inches for half the cage. Add a variety of chew toys, such as willow sticks, willow balls, dandelion roots, wooden chews, seagrass hides/mats, etc. Ensure the wheel is at least 10 or so inches, if you have a bigger Syrian, maybe go with a 12. Try scatter feeding if you aren't already, and hide things like dandelion roots inside the bedding. You could add a "topper" to the bedding, such as hamster-friendly leaves, marigold and dried dandelions. Add in sprays too, such as oat, and you could even add in moss if its something you're comfortable with. Ensure the hamster has out-of-cage time, and a lot of it! That is, if he's comfortable with it.


However, all in all, some hamsters will just chew wood. It doesn't matter what you coat it with, how much enrichment you provide - they will just chew their way out. These hamsters should be given glsass enclosure with weighted lids to avoid escape.