Hamster chewing, oh the crazy dramatics of hamster chewing. I think this is something that every single hamster owner has to endure, and the thing is some people just don’t know why. So why is my hamster chewing you may ask, now i’m going to tell you the top reasons why your hamster could be chewing, and how to solve this.
- A small cage – now many new pet owners just don’t realize that their new cage may be too small for their furry friend. The minumum cage size for a hamster is 360 square inches, but even then many pet stores are selling cages half of that size just for commercial reasons. Many people assume small cages with multiple floors makes it okay, but really it’s not, many hamsters chew their cages because it’s too small and they’re trying to scream get a bigger cage. Many hamsters even chew through the bars completely in attempt to escape. The best solution for this is to simply get a bigger cage. If your cage is over 360 square inches but under 500 i’d still say get a bigger cage. My cage is about 900 square inches.
2. Bordem – yep, your hamster may just be bored, if you were in a cage wouldn’t you get a little bored? The best way to solve this is to frequently interact with your little guy and make sure he gets lots of toys, try mixing it up by swapping out toys and trying new things every now and then.
3. Lonely – now this is something that is far more unlikely than other reasons, but it still needs to be considered. If you have a syrian then you know they’re solitary and live alone, but do you ignore your hamster without any interaction for weeks at a time? Or do you have a single dwarf hamster living on his/her own? Most dwarf hamsters should be kept in pairs or more because they’re social animals and prefer not to be handled as much as syrians. Consider your pet just needs a new friend (if a dwarf and alone) or a little more attention. (if a syrian)
4. Teeth – now most people know that hamsters teeth never stop growing, and if your hamster doesn’t have enough chews or toys to run down the teeth so they stay a good and healthy length, hamsters may use bars as an alternative to ware down their teeth, make sure you always offer chews to keep your pet’s teeth short.
5. Hungry – if your hamster gets hungry, it’s very likely he or she will just try to snack on the bars! Make sure you feed your hamster daily.
Apart from this, your hamster should not be chewing bars, if they are and nothing is working to stop them i’d reccommend moving them to an aquarium style cage (at least a 20 gallon long) to remove all presence of bars. Hamsters chewing bars can be very bad for their health and it should not be left in hope it will be fine. I hope this blog helped you and your hamster situation!
Keep well pet owners!
Know Your Animal 