Question

She has chewed a hole in her cage and won’t stop, and I’m losing serious sleep! How do I get my hamster to stop chewing?

Answer

Hamsters are nocturnal (they sleep during the day and are awake at night). The difficult part to deal with is the fact that you, as a human, are not nocturnal. So the two of you will have to do a bit of adjusting to live together in harmony.

First, you might consider putting your hamster’s cage somewhere other than in your bedroom. Remember, though, that because she’s nocturnal, putting her cage in a room that is busy or noisy during daylight hours will make her stressed and could negatively affect her health.

Second, your hamster needs healthy things to chew on (besides her cage!), such as soft woods that are designed for chewing and that can be purchased at larger pet supply stores for hamsters and other rodents. Even the fruit-flavored softwood chews for parrots may work. If her cage is chewable (made of plastic, for instance), you should seriously think about replacing it with a hamster-proof cage designed for her species.