How to Stop Hamster from Biting Cage – Hamsters … cute, adorable and never fail to put a smile on some guys. But why does he love chewing on his cage bars?
Russian dwarf hammies among all types and races are not the only suspects here. Rabbits, Guinea pigs, and Rats are also known to wake their owners up by biting cage bars.
Today, you will learn how to stop a hamster biting the cage bars and also gain some useful tips.
Why does my hamster chew the cage bars?
Generally, there are many reasons why KNAW hamsters in their breathing bars, but the main reasons are:
- Boredom – This is the most common reason why a rodent would rather gnaw at the cage enclosure. Russian dwarf hamsters love chewing and will make large amounts of this in the wild. If your pet is biting the bars frequently, it may be time to continue reading this post.
- Space – Unfortunately, many pet stores recommend cages that are too small for a hamster to live in. If a hamster does not enjoy his living space he will find other ways to entertain his self. An example of one of these cages would be the Ferplast Combi cage (see our video here).
- Unhappy – Your pet is unhappy, that means they are biting cage bars to try to escape from their cage. The main problem with this is that a hamster can begin to show aggressive behavior towards its owners due to being unhappy. This is a problem and if you are already experiencing this, read our guide to re-tame a Russian dwarf hamster.
All these habits of behavior can be improved.
How to Stop Hamster from Biting Cage
Understanding why your hamster is biting you will help you avoid future habits and occurrences.
Here are some questions you should ask yourself first:
Is my cage hamsters smaller than the recommended size cage? 50 × 80 base floor.
Will my hamster ignore his accessories and try to escape more than once a day?
Has my hamster started biting cage at night and arousing myself?
Is my pet showing aggressive behavior towards me?
If any of these questions are answered with a “Yes” or “True”. It’s time to act animal lover!
Step 1 – Rethink your pet’s environment and understand if it could be larger if there is room for more accessories or even if removing the bars completely upgrading to a rodent tank would be more beneficial. See our recommendations here.
Step 2 – Look online or at your local pet store for a larger cage that will not allow your beloved rodent to chew the bars. Alternatively, look for used cages on websites like Gumtree, eBay, and Craigslist as you can save money by helping someone out.
Bin Cage – These are extremely popular as completely remove all the bars and prevent your hamster from escaping with its simple design. We actually created a bin 2 story cage using two boxes for our midgets.
Step 3 – Accessories Keep your pet happy. Imagine being in the shoes of your rodent, put in an open room with just a few things to entertain yourself with. It will not be long until your bite the bars to escape.
Invest in a few more accessories for your hamster and enjoy watching them play again.
Prevent Future Chewing & Leak Tactics
Some hamsters just enjoy biting their cage wires and this is normal behavior. However, for the owner, it can cause many sleepless nights and aggressive behavior in developing for the caregiver.
The best way to stop a hamster from biting the cage bars is by completely removing the wires and changing their habitat to a glass tank or plastic box (provided it is large enough, safe and does not provide any easy leaks). However, if you want to try and stop your hamster without removing the bars completely you can:
The lemon juice in the bars – This is not recommended, on the other hand, some owners have succeeded. Simply add 2-3 drops of lemon juice to a glass of water (3/4) and then apply this solution to the bars of the cage with a tissue or cloth
Add more fun! – extra accessories and chew toys to avoid boredom. Personally, we find this helps, but it will not provide a long-term solution. Amazon.com and your local pet store have very chewy accessories.
Exploitation – Increase the time when your hamster comes out of the cage side with you. We recommend that you allow your hamster to spend at least 20 minutes per day to be held in an exercise ball or secure areas dedicated to free hamster roaming. This will reduce bar bite habits and increase confidence with your pet.
Read More: How to Play with Your Hamster In and Out of The Cage
Chinese, Russian, Roborvoski and Syrian hamsters make great pets for the whole family to keep, love and enjoy. Along with each pet, there are some bad habits that can be adjusted and this guide should help you.
