Hamster wont chew toys

Question
Hi i have a hamster nutmeg and he never chews on his toys. i get him wood, mineral, and all kinds of chews but the only thing he bites is food and me. ive given him toilet paper tubes but he never chews like gerbils. . . my gerbils ate them at an average of 4 minutes but he doesnt touckh them

and also he never runs in his wheel he just pees in it

is there anything i can do?

Answer
Hi Fiona

thanks for your question.

firstly, hamsters don't really chew.  They will chew the bars to their cage, or some toys just to keep their teeth short.  As you say, gerbils chew all the time and shred a lot to make bedding etc. to burrow in.  However, hamsters don't do this at all.  It is important that their teeth don't overgrow so it is vital they have some hard food and the opportunity to grind their teeth.  If the food doesn't have many hard biscuits, you can always add dog biscuits to give Nutmeg something to chew on.

Regarding his wheel. You haven't said what type of hamster this is.  If he is Syrian, how big is his wheel?  A lot of wheels that come as standard in cages are too small for adult Syrians.  As a result, they don't run in them.  Instead they tend to climb along the outside, or just fill them with food/bedding etc.

If this is the case with your hamster, then it is worth buying a larger wheels and trying this.  Some of mine pee in their wheels, but they still run in them.  Others pack all their food in them which makes a dreadful noise when they run in them.  If the wheel is too small, they cannot arch their back enough to run in them.

If this isn't the problem, then you could always invest in an exercise ball for him to have a run in.  If you buy one, tape over all the joins in the ball as they do tend to open if they bang into furniture.  Let him have a run in this for 20-30 minutes in the evening.  It sometimes takes a short while for them to get the hang of this, but nearly all the hamsters I've had over the years (and that is a lot of hamsters) love running in them.  When you come to get him out, don't put your hand in the ball as you will totally freak him out.  Either let him walk straight back into his cage, or onto your clothing.

With regard to him biting you - the best thing is to rub a little of his bedding into your hands to put his scent on your.  Place a hand each side and quickly 'scoop' him up - immediately transfer him to your clothing.  it is best to sit down at this stage.  Let him explore - if he wanders off gently place a hand under him and bring him back. Don't grab at him.  Remember that hamsters have dreadful eyesight and therefore they rely on smell and hearing.  Therefore even if your hands are clean, they will still smell strange to a hamster.  often hamsters 'taste' hands by rubbing their teeth across them to see what they are and if they think they are food they then sink their teeth in.  Also, if you go near a hamster quickly and startle them they can bite.  Always announce that you are there - talk to your hamster a lot so he recognizes you.  If he has a side door to his cage you can tame him to walk out onto this and onto your hand but never let him sniff your hand otherwise he could nip you by accident.

I hope this helps you.

Regards
Sheila