Metal eating hamster

MAWill236

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Sep 20, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/20/96

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Has this ever happened to anyone before? My hamsters are chewing on the
metal water bottle holders that hang into their cages. They've both
chewed about half an inch into it and they seem to swallow the pieces.
I've provided them with a lot of different chew toys, which they do use,
but they still chew on the water bottles! Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks,
Marcia Williams

Brent Adolph & Corinna Cooke

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Sep 23, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/23/96

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mawi...@aol.com (MAWill236) wrote:

>Thanks,
>Marcia Williams

Shreddie's water bottle his fascined by a wire. Very little of the
wire is in the cage, so it doesn't tempt her to chew.

Have you though that perhaps your hamsters might be pouching the metal
pieces? If they are eating the metal, bits would probably come out
in their stools - you might want to take a look when you clean their
cages.

Oh, and by the way - I find that the sure way to get a hamster NOT to
chew on something is by giving the item with the express purpose of
chewing. Works every time!!

Good luck!

Corinna

Christine Neuteboom

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Sep 29, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/29/96

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MAWill236 wrote:
>
> Has this ever happened to anyone before? My hamsters are chewing on the
> metal water bottle holders that hang into their cages. They've both
> chewed about half an inch into it and they seem to swallow the pieces.
> I've provided them with a lot of different chew toys, which they do use,
> but they still chew on the water bottles! Does anyone have any advice?
>
> Thanks,
> Marcia Williams

My hamster chews his bottle too... at 3 am which just drives me NUTS!!
What I give him is Milk Bones (you know,the ones for dogs). The Milk
Bones I use are the ones for the smallest dogs that have seven flavours
in the box. He will only eat the vegetable (green) ones or the calcium
(beige) ones. Also, I learned in Animal Nutrition (I take agriculture)
that animals will resort to omnivore habits when they are missing a
nutrient in their diets. It's one of those primitive instinct things.
Maybe you should look into getting your fluffs a mineral stone or
something. They might be lacking iron in their diet.

half...@concentric.net

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Oct 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM10/3/96

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In article <526iva$8...@orb.direct.ca>, bad...@direct.ca wrote:

>mawi...@aol.com (MAWill236) wrote:
>
>>Has this ever happened to anyone before? My hamsters are chewing on the
>>metal water bottle holders that hang into their cages. They've both
>>chewed about half an inch into it and they seem to swallow the pieces.
>>I've provided them with a lot of different chew toys, which they do use,
>>but they still chew on the water bottles! Does anyone have any advice?
>

KILL THEM while you still have a chance!!!!!!

>>Thanks,
>>Marcia Williams
>
>Shreddie's water bottle his fascined by a wire. Very little of the
>wire is in the cage, so it doesn't tempt her to chew.

What does this mean? "Shreddie's water bottle his fascined by a wire."??
Ummmm.......

>
>Have you though that perhaps your hamsters might be pouching the metal
>pieces? If they are eating the metal, bits would probably come out
>in their stools - you might want to take a look when you clean their
>cages.
>
>Oh, and by the way - I find that the sure way to get a hamster NOT to
>chew on something is by giving the item with the express purpose of
>chewing. Works every time!!
>
>Good luck!
>
>
>Corinna

--
Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes.
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), German dramatist, poet. Galileo, in Life of Galileo, sc. 13, responding to Andrea's remark, "Unhappy the land that has no heroes."