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Questions
- Why do hamster bite their cage?
- Could stress be causing my hamster to climb and bite its cage?
- How to identify and reduce stress in hamsters
- Does my hamster need more toys or enrichment?
- The best types of toys to keep your hamster entertained
- Creating a balanced environment to minimise stress and boredom
- Why do hamsters climb their cage?
- How to tell if your hamster’s cage is too small
- Choosing the right cage size and setup for your hamster
- Health issues that may cause excessive climbing or chewing
- Common signs of illness in hamsters related to behaviour changes
- Can diet affect a hamster’s climbing and chewing habits?
- Safe and effective ways to modify your hamster’s environment
- How to rotate toys and enrichment for continuous stimulation
- When to consult a vet about your hamster’s cage behaviour
Hamsters are inquisitive little critters and love to explore every nook and cranny of their home. Digging, climbing, and chewing are all very natural behaviours so it’s not a cause for concern if you spot your little friend having a chew to test out their home. If you see them doing it quite often or constantly climbing along the top of their cage, it may indicate a few different things.
We’ve gathered together the causes and some things you can try to reduce the behaviours. Here’s everything you need to know to answer the question, why is my hamster climbing and biting the cage?
Why do hamster bite their cage?
In this article, we’ll explore the range of reasons why your hamster is biting their cage. Biting is a very normal behaviour for hamsters. They often explore new things with their mouth and need to chew to keep their teeth worn down. Hamsters have incisor teeth that continuously grow throughout their life so chewing helps to prevent them from getting too long. For solutions on how to stop hamsters from biting, keep reading.
Could stress be causing my hamster to climb and bite its cage?
Why is my hamster biting the cage, you may ask? If they don’t have enough things to explore and chew in their cage, then they may resort to chewing the bars out of boredom. Another common factor in chewing their cage is stress. When hamsters are stressed, they are likely to resort to a behaviour that usually soothes them, so chewing will make them feel better and if the bars of their cage are easy to access, they are likely to just bite the first thing they see.
How to identify and reduce stress in hamsters
If you’re wondering why do hamsters bite their cage, it could be due to stress. There are a few common indicators that your hamster is stressed, including:
- Hair loss
- Excessive scratching
- Change in appetite/eating habits
- Irregular/unusual behaviour
If you notice any of the above in your hamster, there is a chance they may be stressed. Speak to your local veterinarian if you are concerned, but there are a few things you can do to help reduce your bar chewing hamster’s stress.
Your hamster’s environment should be comforting! Making sure they have plenty of enrichment opportunities, including toys, and a healthy routine will ease their nerves. Keep reading for more advice on how to reduce your hamster’s stress, and in turn, reduce their cage-biting and climbing!
Does my hamster need more toys or enrichment?
If your hamster chews on bars of their cage, there are a few things you can do to help redirect their attention elsewhere. If they have a lot of plastic and metal in their cage, try replacing or adding toys of different materials to give them options and keep them entertained. Toys are a great first-attempt at how to stop a hamster from biting the cage. They provide your fur baby with an alternative item to chomp on.
The best types of toys to keep your hamster entertained
When choosing chomp-able toys for your hamster to sink their teeth into, wooden toys are a great option for giving them things they can chew on. Wood will help wear down their teeth while it’s soft enough to not do any damage. Wooden bridges like the Classic Small Animal Double House With Bridges are great for reshaping and giving them lots of new spaces to explore. It can keep them busy and has lots of extra surfaces to chew on.
The Happy Pet Willow Value Pack is a great mix of different wooden toys for your hamster to get their teeth into. They can roll the balls around and really have some fun while distracting them from chewing on the bars of their cage.
Creating a balanced environment to minimise stress and boredom
Your hamster’s cage is full of enrichment opportunities now, right? To complete their balanced environment for a stress-free home, ensure they are living in a warm and dry climate. Damp and breezy areas are to be avoided at all costs; wild hamsters live in warm and dry conditions, so it’s important to emulate something similar to ensure yours is comfortable.
As tempting as it can be to always want your hamster’s attention and to give lots of cuddles, try to avoid excessively disturbing your fur baby. Quiet, solitary time is needed for your hamster, so when they’re resting let them have some me-time!
How to stop a hamster biting their cage at night
Is your hamster gnawing cage bars whilst you’re asleep? Hamsters are nocturnal so you might notice they’re more active when you’re in bed. It’s important to give them extra activities in the evening so they can burn their energy while you sleep.
A running wheel like the Super Pet Silent Spinner Medium will distract their attention away from boredom chewing and it barely makes a noise as your four-legged friend runs on it. It can be a good idea to give them toys just for overnight so they’re novel when you add them to their cage and will entertain them for longer.
Toys like the Boredom Breaker Activity Assault Course for Hamsters have so many different options for climbing and chewing, it should keep your cage biting hamster busy while you sleep.
Why do hamsters climb their cage?
Climbing is a fun way for hamsters to burn off energy. Beyond their bed and feeding area, a hamster’s cage is just one big playground full of things to explore. It’s only natural that they clamber over everything. Their little paws are so dexterous it helps them to grip onto surfaces which makes climbing their bars quite an easy task.
If they’ve explored everything in their cage already and still have lots of energy, they then may start climbing the bars of their cage too.
How to tell if your hamster’s cage is too small
In some situations where a cage is unsuitable for your hamster, they could be looking to get out. If it’s too small, doesn’t have the right ventilation or if it’s in a draught, they’re more likely to try and find a way out.
Picking the right cage for your hamster includes making sure it’s big enough with plenty to occupy them with inside. If you get their home just right, they won’t need to try to find a way to make the great escape.
Choosing the right cage size and setup for your hamster
Firstly, having the right size cage will help to prevent too much climbing and using their cage as monkey bars. Their space is their safe haven so having plenty of other activities for them to fill their days with will help to deter them away from climbing.
Encouraging their burrowing instinct by having thick bedding will also help them stay away from their cage walls. Let our handy guide help you on choosing the best hamster bedding for your furry friend.
Health issues that may cause excessive climbing or chewing
There are a few health issues that can be the cause of excessive climbing or chewing. That’s why if you notice any irregular behaviour or changes in physical features.
Dental issues are a common cause of excessive biting from your furry baby, as well as general discomfort, which is why it is always worth taking your hamster to see their veterinarian. It’s worth noting that your hamster chewing bars of their cage is likely to worsen your hamster’s dental issues too!
Common signs of illness in hamsters related to behaviour changes
There’s a few behaviour changes that are common indicators of illness in hamsters, so it’s always best to check with your local vet if you’re observing any of the below:
- Lower energy/activity levels than usual
- Decreased appetite/ losing interest in food
- Diarrhoea
- Weight loss
Can diet affect a hamster’s climbing and chewing habits?
Sudden weight loss or a decrease in appetite may result in extra chewing from your hamster. Whether you’ve changed their food or there’s an underlying health problem, your hamster’s diet can result in more chomping!
Safe and effective ways to modify your hamster’s environment
Once you’ve considered the different needs of different hamster species, as well as choosing the appropriate cage for your fur baby, climate, enrichment opportunities like toys and bedding are all key parts of modifying your hamster’s environment safely and effectively.
How to rotate toys and enrichment for continuous stimulation
Keeping your hamster constantly entertained just requires a few simple steps!
1. Don’t put all of their toys in their cage at once! Keep their playtime fresh with newer toys.
2. When you’re putting a toy in their cage, change where you place it every time to keep it interesting for your furry forager.
By adding lots of fun climbing toys for your hamster, you can help to deter them from climbing their cage. Climbing toys make great use of the space they have and can make their cage super exciting, especially if you rotate different toys regularly and switch around their placements to give your hamster a frequent change of environment.
Some of the best rated climbing toys for your hamster include:
When to consult a vet about your hamster’s cage behaviour
While biting is perfectly natural, bar biting on their cage can cause health issues. The bars are metal, usually with a coating that can cause toxicity if they ingest too much. The metal of the bars can also damage their teeth.
Hamsters find vet visits very stressful so if they break their teeth, a trip to the vet can be a very anxiety ridden period. Broken teeth can cause sore gums and infections so to help avoid any costly vet trips, you can give them more appropriate things to wear their teeth down on.
For everything you need to keep them entertained in their cage and all of your other hamster care essentials, take a look at our wide range of products in store and online.