Female Syrian biting and climbing cage :(

Em_

Em_

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My female Syrian hammy is biting the cage and monkey barring a little bit. I try to distract her with chew toys but she doesn’t take them. She hasn’t got many toys yet because I am ordering more tunnels and sand is being delivered tomorrow, but she has got a few toys and things and a shoebox house. Any advice? However, her chewing has gotten less frequent since I got her, there is the occasional chew.
 

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How about making Cleo some boredom breakers? Things like putting some of her seeds in a cardboard roll and then adding bedding so she has to dig the bedding out and eat the seeds? She may enjoy the challenge. :)
 
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RainbowBrite said:
How about making Cleo some boredom breakers? Things like putting some of her seeds in a cardboard roll and then adding bedding so she has to dig the bedding out and eat the seeds? She may enjoy the challenge. :)
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Ok thank you I’ll have a look 🙂🙂
 
You could weave cardboard in the bars at that area (eg cut up a cereal packet). She might just move onto another area. I think it will distract her from it when you're able to add more substrate :) Meanwhile she probably just wants to come out. Scatter feeding can help too. You can actually get perspex bar biting panels to fit inside the cage, but it works out a bit expensive.
 
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Maz said:
You could weave cardboard in the bars at that area (eg cut up a cereal packet). She might just move onto another area. I think it will distract her from it when you're able to add more substrate :) Meanwhile she probably just wants to come out. Scatter feeding can help too. You can actually get perspex bar biting panels to fit inside the cage, but it works out a bit expensive.
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thank you yes do you think it would be ok to free roam her in a dry bathtub with the hole covered or a playpen every once in a while? 🤔🙂
 
Absolutely. If she is showing signs of wanting to come out that sounds good. I'd try the bathtub with a tube and a hide in it. A playpen is better if you have one though. Bathtub is more for hand taming. Do you have something secure she can climb into from the cage so you can transport her there? Hamster ball might do - pop it in the cage with a treat in and when she goes in it, pop the lid on and carry her that way. It helps if you can do it around the same time every day so she gets in a routine and doesn't pester to be out all the time. They also often stop doing it when you turn the lights out and go to bed - which shows it's trying to get attention.
 
You have a nice sized cage, so in time when you’ve added some extra enrichment with your new tunnels and the sand bath, I’m sure she’ll start to settle it’s still very early days. Our hamster has a shoebox nest and also an empty square tissue box at the other end of his cage which is under a shelf, buried in the substrate apart from the opening and he loves to hide out in it to wash. Maybe hide some seeds around her enclosure too.

Our Syrian hamster comes out most evenings in his pop up playpen, sadly he’s not so keen on being handled but we use a simple plastic jug that he hops into with ease and then hold our hand near the end to ensure he doesn’t jump out as we lower him into the pen. (its mostly full of used small boxes that he enjoys playing in).

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Zara said:
You have a nice sized cage, so in time when you’ve added some extra enrichment with your new tunnels and the sand bath, I’m sure she’ll start to settle it’s still very early days. Our hamster has a shoebox nest and also an empty square tissue box at the other end of his cage which is under a shelf, buried in the substrate apart from the opening and he loves to hide out in it to wash. Maybe hide some seeds around her enclosure too.

Our Syrian hamster comes out most evenings in his pop up playpen, sadly he’s not so keen on being handled but we use a simple plastic jug that he hops into with ease and then hold our hand near the end to ensure he doesn’t jump out as we lower him into the pen. (its mostly full of used small boxes that he enjoys playing in).

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ok thanks the boxes are a good idea i will definetly use that :)
 
Maz said:
Absolutely. If she is showing signs of wanting to come out that sounds good. I'd try the bathtub with a tube and a hide in it. A playpen is better if you have one though. Bathtub is more for hand taming. Do you have something secure she can climb into from the cage so you can transport her there? Hamster ball might do - pop it in the cage with a treat in and when she goes in it, pop the lid on and carry her that way. It helps if you can do it around the same time every day so she gets in a routine and doesn't pester to be out all the time. They also often stop doing it when you turn the lights out and go to bed - which shows it's trying to get attention.
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Yes I’m pretty sure i’ll find something to carry her in😅, and when she’s awake i might try getting her in the bathtub with some toys and tubes. Thanks for the info!
 
I have a Syrian in the same cage with a 30cm wheel, deep substrate, tunnels etc which he's happy with but he still chews the bars to let me know that he wants to come out to freeroam.
I think that Cleo is also giving you this message.
I make the hall into a hamster playground in the evening and often use recycling like cardboard and egg boxes, wiped out Pringle tubes etc as things to explore.

There's a thread here on playpens and playareas.
 
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