Hamster chewing bottle..

[Evansangel]

..my hamster chews his water bottle. The metal spout part.

It drives me crazy because all I hear all night long is BANG BANG and I'm worried he is going to do his teeth some damage.

I put things in there to amuse/distract him, but he ignores it all. Wont use his wheel anymore, just prefers to spend his awake time chewing that damn bottle.

He is in a plastic tank. So the water bottle is on the outside and the spout goes through a hole in the side of the tank. When I remove the bottle for refilling he sticks his nose through the little hole and chews around the edges of it.

Is this normal behaviour? Will he eventually stop it?

 

[Sammi83]

Have you checked his teeth?
Some hamsters do this because their teeth are overgrown and they are trying to wear them down.
Most of the time though this is a sign of boredom.

What size cage is he in?
The absolute minimum cage size for a hamster (rspca standards) is 75x40cm.

Also is his wheel big enough for him to use?
Lots of people say their hamsters stop using the wheel for no reason, usually it's because the hamsters wheel is too small.
A Syrian will need at least an 8" wheel with most of them needing 11"/12" wheels.
A wheel that is too small will damage their backs.

Another reason hamsters chew their water bottle spouts is for attention!

Sorry to waffle on, I run an animal rescue and have kept hamsters for over 20 years so know far too much about small animals!

 

[KayBea]

also have you checked he can get water out as a speed that suits him? my hamster kept chewing her bottle despite a huge wheel, various toys & living in a castle.. i then realised she couldnt get the water out quick enough. xx