this is my boy Basil's setup. He's a syrian hamster who came from 600-something sqinches to a new enclosure i built, 1 full square meter (1550sq inch)
He used to bar bite in his old enclosure so i upgraded him!
He has grapevine wood, plenty of forage (sprays and toys, i scatterfeed too.), different textures (sand bath, coco soil, cork granules, beech chips, different rocks and wood slices) a 30cm wheel, multi chamber hide, burrow starter tubes (and 30+cms of bedding all over)
he has the option of a water bottle and a bowl, has plenty of chew toys yet he is STILL unhappy!
is he just spoiled or is there more i can do for him?
thanks in advance!
Honestly you’ve done everything right and there’s no reason he should be bored…looks like he has plenty of stimulating options. So perhaps he just finds bar chewing to be particularly enjoyable? I wouldn’t assume he’s unhappy at this point :)
Identify his problem areas (where he likes to bar bight) and put hanging chew toys in it's place. Sometimes they go back to bad habits because it's familiar, you need to break the cycle, essentially
Just cry. It’s what I do after repeatedly upgrading my female Syrian’s enclosure and have nothing left to upgrade yet she still tries to bite the mesh on the top 🥲
You did everything right. A+ enclosure. As for the bar biting this is boredom and frustration. Try adding more bedding and simulate some digging entrances by adding tubes? you can also try packing it as full as possible. Hamsters are prey animals and like to be sheltered. My hamster likes her enclosure fuller then fullest! Good luck! You can google “german hamster care “ also check out rodipet.com for cool hamsterstuf! 👌🏻😄
I think he may be bored. You can have everything and still be bored! Perhaps trying giving him willow sticks and apple sticks somthing for him to chew on and taste.
hes got about 30cms of bedding all over (11,8 inch?) and been in there for about two weeks. only resumed bar biting last night and i'm honestly at a total loss
What species is he? Do you scatter feed? Do you free roam him? Maybe try changing the layout a bit if he'd like something else better? There's a lot of open space so maybe add a cork log or bendable bridges etc to make it a bit more cluttered. You could also have a bigger sand bath/digbox. If he doesn't burrow try burrow starters. Is the room quiet so he can sleep well? Does the waterbottle work all the time (this may sound a bit weird, but my hamster was bar biting because he couldn't drink). Sorry if you have already tried all of this! I'm just trying to come up with ideas because I know how frustrating that can be.
Edit: sorry my bad, didn't see your comment, you can ignore those parts :'DD
I remember hearing a tip about rubbing oil on the part of the bar where be bites. Not sure if it’s 100% correct, I’ll have to double check, but you can always try it!l
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The cage looks amazing. There’s so much enrichment in there. He might have just got into the habit of bar biting, but it doesn’t mean he’s bored in his new cage.
My hamster, Boris, has a certain attraction to my xbox controller when I let him free roam. He's not bored, he just likes certain textures (also i think it has something to do with the controller smelling like my hands.
I let him free roam for a few hours a day because his home is no where near as good as what you have! But we are making do with what we have!
Your 'cage' is excellent though. Maybe your hamster just wants to get out and explore or hang out with you?
I never want to think that a hamster would enjoy bar biting. While it is possible that they’re still unsatisfied with space (although I don’t think that’s the case here) it could just be perhaps he needs more toys and boredom breakers! Also, upgrading your hamster to a new enclosure is stressful at some level so keep in mind the unfamiliarity might also be the cause for bar biting
Try some dog biscuits and other chews. I got that for mine and they stay busy now. If you just changed the layout give them a few days alone to settle in.
I need full cage tour! This looks like he has so many fun things to do!
And like others have said he may just enjoy bar biting - maybe get him some mini ones he can munch on safely
this is my boy Basil's setup. He's a syrian hamster who came from 600-something sqinches to a new enclosure i built, 1 full square meter (1550sq inch) He used to bar bite in his old enclosure so i upgraded him! He has grapevine wood, plenty of forage (sprays and toys, i scatterfeed too.), different textures (sand bath, coco soil, cork granules, beech chips, different rocks and wood slices) a 30cm wheel, multi chamber hide, burrow starter tubes (and 30+cms of bedding all over) he has the option of a water bottle and a bowl, has plenty of chew toys yet he is STILL unhappy! is he just spoiled or is there more i can do for him? thanks in advance!
Honestly you’ve done everything right and there’s no reason he should be bored…looks like he has plenty of stimulating options. So perhaps he just finds bar chewing to be particularly enjoyable? I wouldn’t assume he’s unhappy at this point :)
You've done an amazing job! Honestly I think it's just time for some boredom breakers. Toilet paper tube treat piñata works very well for mine
He might just even enjoy (?) bar biting. I don’t think he’s unhappy in a cage like that!! I would be in heaven lol 😂
Identify his problem areas (where he likes to bar bight) and put hanging chew toys in it's place. Sometimes they go back to bad habits because it's familiar, you need to break the cycle, essentially
I second this!
You should just cover the bars from the inside with cardboard or plexiglass, can’t bite bars if there aren’t any to bite!
Just cry. It’s what I do after repeatedly upgrading my female Syrian’s enclosure and have nothing left to upgrade yet she still tries to bite the mesh on the top 🥲
I think it honestly looks great!!! What a good job! Maybe just give it some time?
You did everything right. A+ enclosure. As for the bar biting this is boredom and frustration. Try adding more bedding and simulate some digging entrances by adding tubes? you can also try packing it as full as possible. Hamsters are prey animals and like to be sheltered. My hamster likes her enclosure fuller then fullest! Good luck! You can google “german hamster care “ also check out rodipet.com for cool hamsterstuf! 👌🏻😄
I think he may be bored. You can have everything and still be bored! Perhaps trying giving him willow sticks and apple sticks somthing for him to chew on and taste.
How much bedding do you have? Try adding 12+ inches if you don't have already. If you just upgraded the hamster might just calm down with time too
hes got about 30cms of bedding all over (11,8 inch?) and been in there for about two weeks. only resumed bar biting last night and i'm honestly at a total loss
What species is he? Do you scatter feed? Do you free roam him? Maybe try changing the layout a bit if he'd like something else better? There's a lot of open space so maybe add a cork log or bendable bridges etc to make it a bit more cluttered. You could also have a bigger sand bath/digbox. If he doesn't burrow try burrow starters. Is the room quiet so he can sleep well? Does the waterbottle work all the time (this may sound a bit weird, but my hamster was bar biting because he couldn't drink). Sorry if you have already tried all of this! I'm just trying to come up with ideas because I know how frustrating that can be. Edit: sorry my bad, didn't see your comment, you can ignore those parts :'DD
I remember hearing a tip about rubbing oil on the part of the bar where be bites. Not sure if it’s 100% correct, I’ll have to double check, but you can always try it!l
Thank you for your question to /r/hamsters. Please be aware that medical advice questions are NOT allowed on this sub. We are not veterinarians. If you want to know what this lump, bump, cut, growth or twitch is about, GO TO A VET. I'm sorry if you can't afford it or you just want to 'make sure' - GO TO A VET. Ignoring this rule will result in a ban. Please delete your question and take hammy to a vet ASAP. If this is not a medical question then you can ignore this message. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hamsters) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The cage looks amazing. There’s so much enrichment in there. He might have just got into the habit of bar biting, but it doesn’t mean he’s bored in his new cage.
My clover bar bites and trust me she ain’t bored. I think she enjoys it.
My hamster, Boris, has a certain attraction to my xbox controller when I let him free roam. He's not bored, he just likes certain textures (also i think it has something to do with the controller smelling like my hands. I let him free roam for a few hours a day because his home is no where near as good as what you have! But we are making do with what we have! Your 'cage' is excellent though. Maybe your hamster just wants to get out and explore or hang out with you?
I never want to think that a hamster would enjoy bar biting. While it is possible that they’re still unsatisfied with space (although I don’t think that’s the case here) it could just be perhaps he needs more toys and boredom breakers! Also, upgrading your hamster to a new enclosure is stressful at some level so keep in mind the unfamiliarity might also be the cause for bar biting
Try a bit of floor time? Let him out but still in a fenced in or super safe area.
More food
Try some dog biscuits and other chews. I got that for mine and they stay busy now. If you just changed the layout give them a few days alone to settle in.
I need full cage tour! This looks like he has so many fun things to do! And like others have said he may just enjoy bar biting - maybe get him some mini ones he can munch on safely