But is it really a good solution?
There are a few reasons why hamsters will chew on bars: boredom, they like the taste of bars, they want to get your attention, or they want to escape.
I'm guessing that in many bar chewing cases (like, maybe 90% or so?), it's boredom that's the culprit. I'm pretty sure most hamsters wouldn't voluntarily want to eat the bars; hamsters do not crave or desperately need human affection for survival; wanting to escape is tied in with boredom (a bored hamster would want to explore other places whereas a hamster not bored would be entertained in its cage and wouldn't feel the need to escape).
Boredom is a very bad thing. It indicates a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. Some animals like parrots will self-mutilate themselves when they're bored. They pluck out their feathers until they bleed.
Bar chewing is a sign of boredom. Bar chewing gives our hamsters something to do, because, what else is there to do? And when we see our hamster bar chewing we put lemon juice or vinegar or bitter apple spray or other deterrent on the bars. Does this stop the chewing? Yes. But does it stop the underlying problem? No.
So before you break out the lemons, please look at your hamster's cage. Does it seem like the hamster has enough space (360 square inches for one or two hamsters, minimum)? Have you given your hamster chew toys, like dog biscuits, or safe tree branches? Does your hamster have a wheel, which is a necessity in any hamster cage? Does your hamster have toys to play with, such as shredding toys, or paper towels to crawl in, or huts and houses to explore? If you answered no to any of these questions, and your hamster is a bar chewer, then do take the time to try and amend it. Your hamster, their teeth, their mental well being, and your ears and sanity will thank you for it!
Edited by Plushie, 31 October 2010 - 03:44 PM.
