My Syrian hamster bites her cage ALL night long

Question
My Syrian hamster bites her cage ALL night long, I have a wooden chew thing that has a nut in the middle but she won't even touch it.  I heard that blowing in her face will help her stop but she won't.  Her bottom front teeth look very long, but my parents hate it and will not take her to the vet.  I don't know what to do, but she keeps me up all night long.  Can you help me?

Answer
Hi Samantha,

First, keep giving her things to chew on.  A vegetable wheel is a good option (found at Walmart and pet stores).  Also, a plain dog bone is great for filing down hamsters' teeth, as well as providing them with calcium.

Hamsters' bottom teeth are naturally very long, so it's likely that your hamster's teeth are the normal length.

To stop the biting on the cage, go to the pet store and buy Bitter Lime Spray or Gel.  It's marketed towards ferrets (safe for all small animals, though), so it'll be in the ferret section.  I think it's around $5-7.  Spray or rub the bitter lime on the parts of the cage that your hamster is chewing on.  If she tries to chew her cage, she'll taste the bitter lime and be disgusted.  You may have to use the bitter lime a few times, but she'll soon learn not to chew on her cage.

Happy New Year!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly