Chewing bars in a big cage

[cmin9]

Hi! Sorry if this is not the correct place to post this.

My syrian hamster got a new cage, pretty big one (75 x 46 x 46 cm) with 3 levels overall, big enough wheel and stuff to chew on (wood, chweing block, cardboard). The only downside I can see now is that it seems a bit empty on the upper 2 levels, not enough enrichments. Of course, he has enough food, fruit, water, sand bath, enough sawdust to dig, tubes and so on.

But even like this, he still goes in the corners and chews on the bars. In one corner I've put some cardboard and he instantly lost interest. But I can't just put cardboard in every corner because I am pretty sure he will chew on other parts. I'm not sure why he doesn't dig and barely chews on something else. I had hamsters before (different types) and all of them were chewing cardboard at least, all of them were digging in the sawdust.

Oh, and a bit more important (maybe) information. He chews on the base level, when it's full of stuff to chew and the wheel, level 2 and 3 don't have enough stuff, but he can easily get to these levels.

Let's say he will have more enrichments and still will chew. What can I do? Sometimes I will have to sleep in the room with him and I can't stand that chweing metal sound (I'm really ok with cardboard). I've seen some suggestions that I should use something like vinegar where he chwes to make him don't like this.


What cool suggestions you people have for us?

 

[RainbowBrite]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, the cage does not meet the recommended size for a hamster which is 100cm by 50cm. It is better for a hamster to have a one level cage as they are not very good at climbing and then safely getting back down. Once you upgrade the cage I am sure your hamster is going to be much happier.

This is a link with advice about choosing a hamster cage.

Which hamster cage should I get?

Everything you need to know about choosing the best hamster cage - such as what size cage do you need, and a list of all suitable, available hamster cages. Our friendly hamster community can help you work out the best cage for your needs.

thehamsterforum.com

You mention using sawdust. Do you know what it is made out of? Aspen is perfectly safe to use as a bedding for hamsters but not something like pine. You may want to switch to a paper bedding as it is great for holding tunnels. This will give you more information on choosing a bedding.

Hamster Bedding and Substrate

Choose the best and safest litter material and substrate for your hamster. Paper based substrate is one of the safest and hamsters love it - it's nice and soft. Avoid wood based beddings unless it says on the packet that it is "pine" and that...

thehamsterforum.com

It is lovely you have found the forum. You will find so much help and support on here.

 

[elusive]

Hello & welcome to the forum

As Rainbow said the cage really isn’t large enough for a Syrian hamster.

The most important thing is one large floor space, shelves or platforms can add to the cage but levels don’t make up for lack of space.

Also you need a good deep layer of bedding & most cages with levels don’t have a deep enough base for that, at least 6” bt preferably 8-10 is best.
This helps to encourage natural behaviours.

What do you have in the cage, do you have a large enough multiroom house to nest & hoard in? They generally love these & will burrow into the bedding underneath too.

Many chew toys aren’t used by hamsters, you could try getting a whimzee dog chew, the toothbrush ones, they usually love these & will happily chew on those.

Chewing the bars can damage their teeth & mouth or nose so it is important to try to provide a large enough cage with the right kind of enrichment to prevent it.
You’re not alone with having this problem, many people often get misinformed & don’t realise just how much space a hamster needs.

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome We have all been there (or many of us have) - my first cage was also unsuitable. My second one was but I wished I'd upgraded bigger. What is your hammy's name?

He will be chewing at the base because of the smaller floor area. The do most of their normal behaviours at floor area - digging, burying hoards - sitting under something for a wash etc. He will just see the base as his cage really. The other levels might be "somewhere to go".

Are you in the US or Europe? In the Uk and Europe there are a few commercial cages big enough that aren't extremely expensive! In the Us there are glass tanks which can be got $ per gallon or niteangel commercial cages (which are expensive).

The forum guidelines are for 100cm x 50cm or larger and the Blue Cross and PDSA also recommend this.

About the cheapest option is a second hand Savic Plaza cage They go for about £40 second hand and cost £80 new.

Syrian hamsters are basically ground dwellers and like all their usable things in their "environment" which is the one level with substrate. Ideally they want about 8" of substrate - which is more than the base will fit. The base will fit 6". Some people put cardboard around the inside bars to keep the substrate in

For enrichment, you ideally want a large house that's dark inside (or a multiroom house), a shelf or platform (something to sit under and somewhere to go and to put heavier ceramic items), a Syrian sized wheel (11" or 12"). Those are the basics and you then add more enrichment. The biggest enrichment though is a good depth of substrate and a large dark house, so they can have normal behaviours. Then you can add floor tunnels, extra hidey places (cardboard tunnels and hides are fine), and millet sprays are popular too. They also like a sand bath.

Did you get the current cage quite recently? If so some places will let you take it back for a refund, even if it's been used. Or alternatively you could keep it as a spare play cage for when doing a clean out for example.

Hope this helps! Have a look at the "show us your cages" threads - for some ideas of set ups

Show us your cages 2023 onwards

A new thread for 2023 to show cage set ups :) Some may have changed or be new but feel free to add your existing set up again. It's mainly so all current ones are viewable in the same place.

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Frida]

Hello and welcome to the forum
Lots of great advice already been given above, so nothing to add

 

[cmin9]

hi all! thanks for the fast response! I'll try to reply in here and sorry if I miss someone/something:

Cage dimensions: This was a cage used for some month by my girlfriends degu squirrel. she upgraded it due to the lack of space. but for my hamster it's a bit difficult to upgrade to something longer because we don't really have the space. I'll try to see how can I fit something of 1m.

I live in Romania and around here most cages are small. The big ones are for Guinea Pigs usually and not suitable for hamsters due to the large spaces in the fence.

Bedding: The sawdust has neutral smell, bought from a local pet shop. It has a few inches where he can dig, but he doesn't. I had hamsters with less than this and they were digging everywhere.

Retreat: he has something improvised as a house, where he can dig himself in the bedding. I will buy something proper.

As an extra fact, he was just recently moved into this cage and he is not really aggressive with the chewing, just does it a bit and then he's off as far I can tell. And yes, I know this is very bad for them that's why I am here for a solution.

But some of my questions remain: why is he not chewing anything else (cardboard, wood, chewing block etc)? And let's say I uprage all of the required parts and he still does this (chwes only on the metal bars, not anything else besides food), what should I do then?

Oh, yes, and his name is Bezu (Bese from Obese in english). He's not fat per se, but we had a small dwar winter hamster before and in comparison he is really big/fat. Didn't want to sound dumb or anything, I know they are different species.

 

[elusive]

Some hamsters do chew cardboard but not all, many don’t chew wood or the blocks sold as chews, I don’t know if you can get the whimzee or Antos dog chews in Romania but these are just about the most liked chews.
He’s probably chewing at the boundaries mostly, that is what they tend to do in smaller cages.
You could try making some treats for him with cardboard either hiding food or treats in a tube or small box or even an egg box or stick treats to cardboard with flour & water glue.
Have a look here for some ideas.

Cardboard creations

This is a thread to show how many things you can make for your hamster or enclosure, out of cardboard :-) Cardboard is your friend.

www.thehamsterforum.com

Egg box toys

My little girl Blossom loves shredding egg boxes, so I made her some egg box toys…egg box toadstools, a hanging egg box snake and an ice cream parlour 😋I also made some stars with corrugated card to see if she likes those too 👍😁

www.thehamsterforum.com

Things like these might help as a distraction until you can upgrade his cage.

 

[cmin9]

Thanks! Can you give me a link with those dog toys? For dogs and cats we have lots of stuff and it would be pretty easy to find them i guess.

The upgrade is not guaranteed anyway, I wish it would be, but a 1m long cage it's pretty hard to fit.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I can understand what you mean. It is difficult to find hamster supplies in Romania. I think it is very important to have a one meter cage even if it means moving your home furniture.

It is possible to make a guinea pig cage safe by attaching mesh to the outside. This will stop a hamster being able to get through the bars. I know of a person in Serbia who made her hamster a cage and makes almost everything for the cage as it is hard to find hamster items there too.

All hamsters are different and some do need more enrichment then others.

 

[Maz]

It's really difficult finding something the right size in some countries - there aren't that many choices in the Uk and some are really expensive.

He's bar chewing and chewing the base out of stress. It's usually because the cage isn't big enough (they rarely bar chew in a 1 metre cage), but it can also be due to some other stress - eg if they are cleaned out too much (it removes all the familiar scent so they feel like it's not home any more) or just because they feel a bit exposed and not enough places to hide etc. But it sounds like he has a nice hide.

Would you be up for diy? Sometimes rearranging the furniture allows for a 1m cage to fit It's only an extra 25cm width. Or using a cupboard top or dresser top for the cage perhaps. Or the top of a chest of drawers. It doesn't matter if there's a bit of overhang at the sides.

Yes it's a pain that you can get larger guinea pig cages but the bar spacing is too large, and fully meshing those is really fiddly and hard work and needs to be done carefully.

If you have an ikea anywhere near, then there are quite a few DIY options. If you google Ikea Platsa hamster

The thing with softwood bedding is, it contains phenols and they are harmful to a hamster's respiratory tract. In some countries they are kiln dried by law, to remove most of the phenols but even then it's not the best bedding for that reason. Paper bedding like Kaytee Clean and Cosy is better, or you might be able to get hemp bedding? Reptile shops sell aspen (which is a hardwood and ok).

 

[Maz]

At least he is a male Syrian! If he was female he may need much larger than a 1 metre cage! They are notoriously maverick and need a lot of space.

I've linked the bedding and cleaning articles for you, to give an idea of how to keep a good depth of bedding without having to clean out too often. Sorry if you already know this! He may not dig much but it helps them feel secure and means they can have normal behaviours like burying hoards under their nest or burrowing down to sleep. And they can move it around and pile it up sometimes to keep cosy.

Hamster cage cleaning

How to clean your hamster cage and avoid causing stress to your hamster. It's best to have plenty of depth of substrate and mainly spot clean your hamster cage. Avoid disturbing your hamster's nest and hoard.

www.thehamsterforum.com

Hamster Bedding and Substrate

Choose the best and safest litter material and substrate for your hamster. Paper based substrate is one of the safest and hamsters love it - it's nice and soft. Avoid wood based beddings unless it says on the packet that it is "pine" and that...

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[elusive]

Thanks! Can you give me a link with those dog toys?

These are the toothbrush chews

Toothbrush ALL NATURAL DAILY DENTAL TREAT FOR DOGS - WHIMZEES

A Toothbrush a day helps keep your doggie dentist away Grooves and ridges on our daily dental treat help remove plaque and tartar like never before.

www.whimzees.com

 

[cmin9]

The current cage he has is something like this:



In the sens that it's a part glass and the metal part comes on top like in the image. But the structure and dimensions are different. I've measure how tall the glass is and it has about 17 cm. Maybe if fill those 17 cm with sawdust because I have plenty for now and put the wheel and some extra stuff on the wooden plate it will bring some interest in digging.


These are the kind of long cages I can find around:

IMAC Cuşcă EASY 120 pentru iepuri 120x60x46,5cm, Albastru

IMAC Cuşcă EASY 120 pentru iepuri 120x60x46,5cm, AlbastruConfortabilă şi spaţioasă, această cuşcă te va face fericit pe tine şi pe prietenii tăi rozători!Easy 120 este o cuşcă pentru iepuri şi cobai, cu fund rezistent din plastic şi structură din plasă metalică, care poate fi separată cu...

maxi-pet.ro

L.E. Found this cage. Would you guys think it is suitable?

Cusca pentru rozatoare Krolik Large Verde 100x60x50cm

Comanda acum Cusca pentru rozatoare Krolik Large Verde 100x60x50cmL de la Animax.ro, Pet Shop cu livrare rapida

animax.ro

I can fit a max 100 cm lenght.

 

[RainbowBrite]

The long cage you linked would be okay if you mesh the outside. I am not sure how difficult that would be. I know I would find it difficult to do that myself.

With hamsters they really like deep bedding. It helps them to make tunnels and it also means you do not have to clean the cage as much.

 

[elusive]

Of those two cages the first one looks like it has a deeper base for the bedding so that would work but as Rainbow said you would have to mesh it as the bar spacing is too big for a hamster.

While he’s in the current cage filling the glass part with bedding would be good.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Oh I forgot to say, You can attach cardboard to the outside of the cage in order to have deeper bedding. It stops the bedding from coming out the cage but allows your hamster to have nice deep bedding.

If you can fit 100cm then the second cage has good dimensions but you will need to put cardboard on the outside to have deeper bedding.

It is so lovely to see how much you care about your hamster.

 

[Maz]

That looks like a lovely cage with the glass base - such a shame it isn't that bit bigger. The two guinea pig cages would need meshing and it tends to be better to mesh the inside rather than the outside. The reason for that is, if you mesh the outside, they can get through the bars and get trapped under the mesh. But it's very difficult to do as the edges need folding under to make sure there are no sharp bits. I think it would be beyond my skills! And would take time and patience.

Alternatively, you could get perspex made to fit the side bars and just mesh the top. Then you could have deeper bedding and less meshing to do, but perspex panels can be really quite expensive.

Have you seen these diy cage options?

Large diy cage options

This thread is to show options for extra large diy cages. There are a few good cages big enough, as listed on our cages thread, but sometimes people want to go bigger and then it means making a cage. Ikea Hacks can be an easy way. DIY isn't always cheap. You need to have tools available (or...

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[RainbowBrite]

That looks like a lovely cage with the glass base - such a shame it isn't that bit bigger. The two guinea pig cages would need meshing and it tends to be better to mesh the inside rather than the outside. The reason for that is, if you mesh the outside, they can get through the bars and get trapped under the mesh. But it's very difficult to do as the edges need folding under to make sure there are no sharp bits. I think it would be beyond my skills! And would take time and patience.

Alternatively, you could get perspex made to fit the side bars and just mesh the top. Then you could have deeper bedding and less meshing to do, but perspex panels can be really quite expensive.

Have you seen these diy cage options?

Large diy cage options

This thread is to show options for extra large diy cages. There are a few good cages big enough, as listed on our cages thread, but sometimes people want to go bigger and then it means making a cage. Ikea Hacks can be an easy way. DIY isn't always cheap. You need to have tools available (or...

www.thehamsterforum.com

Good point about meshing the inside.

 

[cmin9]

Will try to search more a proper cage without the need for extra meshing, mostly because I can't be sure I'll do it right.

And as a joke, right now he has better living space than we have. We live in a 3 room communist apartament, his cage is more like a villa. Jokes aside, he is the second most calm hamster I had (a bit scared overall and might be from the guy who had him before). The first one was when I had 12 years (around 18 years ago), that small guy was free in the house (still a 3 room apartment, but a different one than the one we live in now), comed to me when I was yelling his name (just like a dog) and got near me to sleep. That hammie was the perfect hamster for a kid, hammie-dog haha

 

[Maz]

Aw he sounded lovely and tame. I know the feeling though - I get complaints that there's no room for furniture in the living room because of the hamster cages (I have two of them).