# Headstrong hamster :/



## kit9999 (May 27, 2010)

Hi everyone

Today I went into a pet shop and saw a beautiful syrian hamster for only £25 with a cage included, so I bought him  I brought him home and I love that he's a bit of a character (he doesn't appear scared of me at all and loves coming out the cage), but the thing is, when I let him out, he runs to the side of the bed and kinda lets himself walk off it, and I have to stop him falling everytime. He just automatically goes to the edge of the bed as if to just walk right off it and it means I have to follow him round with my hands in case he falls and watch him withan eagle eye. Can anyone help me with why he may be doing this? Also, if I have to put him back in his cage for two minutes to do something, he gnaws hard on the cage door as if desperate to come back out. I don't mean a little chew, I mean violently gnaws. He's not aggressive and he does not bite me, but again, could anyone help me work out why he behaves like that? I'm just worried he's going to hurt himself by falling or hurt his teeth with gnawing.

Thanks guys


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

Hamsters are terribly clumsy animals.
not the best of climbers like rats.

I have 2 hamsters, both Syrian and they both tumble off stuff all the time, cage levels, desks, beds. It is sometimes unavoidable, fortunately hamsters are professional fallers xD

As long as they dont fall to high, or hard they are almost always fine.

If the floor is hard it might be bad, just be careful with whats she playing in. Maybe let her play on the floor instead.


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## Nienor (May 1, 2010)

Gnawing on the cage bars might be a sign that the cage is far to small .. What size is it ?

Over here we keep hamsters in cages of 100x50x50 cm size. They have about 20 cm of litter so they can dig proberly. They will never again gnaw on the bars .. As long as he did not get used to it. They it would be better to keep him in a tank of the mentioned size with bars on the top so he could not get out. 
If you put in a small "table" you can place the water and food dish and the 25cm wheel on it ..


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## kit9999 (May 27, 2010)

Hey guys,

It could be that the cage is a little small, it was one that the pet shop gave me and they said it was okay. I am not sure of the exact size but its around 30cm high which is around the reccommended size for hamsters according to the hamster pages I've looked at so far. I think he's been in that cage a while in the pet store on his own, so this morning I started to wonder if maybe because he's spent so long in it without any proper handling or free range time, he might be just really enjoying his free range time here and doesn't want to go back in the cage. Do you think that could be part of it? I'm getting paid a bit more than usual soon, so I will most likely spend some of it on a newer, bigger cage for him. 

Thanks for your advice


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