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Help?

Hey everyone, me again!

Binky likes to chew on the storage cubes. They have a run made out of them, and I use them to fence off areas where I don't want them to go. She chews on them all. Now, I know that this chewing will lead to malocclusion, hence my shout out for help!

I am going to buy some of those sea-grass mats to put over the bits she chews the most, but I'm 99% sure she'll just got for another bit. I've sprayed her with water, no go. Doesn't change the behaviour, and I'm not able to be consistent with it, when I'm at work, etc.

Anyone deal with this before? I checked her teeth as usual today and noticed they're getting a little long as well, although they're still aligned properly. I'm actually wondering if she's hurting her teeth at all with the chewing and hence isn't eating enough hay. She seems to put away quite a bit of hay, but...
 
Is she chewing them because shes shut in?
The reason i ask is because claude used to go in a ferplast cage at night when he was a baby,in the morning as soon as it got light i would hear him biting and pulling at the bars (he never did anything to his teeth)
But this is because he wanted to be let out. do you think thats why she is doing it?

Claude and miffy are in a puppy pen now and lilac and shadow a dog cage with a run attached from those panels neither chew the bars
Do the buns have plenty of things to chew on? willow rings wooden chews hanging from there cage things to keep them busy?
 
She does do it in the cage/run to be let out in the mornings, as it wakes me up (excellent alarm clock ;)). They've got tonnes of toys to chew on, but she doesn't chew on any of them, whilst her sister does (and hardly attacks the bars). When she's out of the run she does it as well, though, on the bars keeping her from where I don't want her. I don't want her there because she goes to town & rips up the carpet and other things, so I know she's doing it because she wants to get in there...

Am ordering different things to chew on today, but doubt anything will keep her from the bars...
 
Hiya Maaike Gal - how ya doin!!

With the stuff you've already got or ordering - as well as sea grass - anything Willow normally goes down well - this might tempt your girl to chew and also its a brill natural product for them :wink:
 
Just ordered, although the mats aren't available at the moment. Used Bunnymail. Hmmmmm...got willow stuff, though.

There is stuff hanging from the bars, but unless it's got food in it, she's just not interested.

Rollin the hay hasn't gone down too brilliantly either...

I guess it's still a matter of finding what she wants to play with, but nothing I get either of them seems to be hugely popular. Except Xena and her carboard box...that's true love. ;)

(thanks for asking, Lany, I'm good, and yourself? Extremely busy juggling Uni/practice and a part-time job, though!!)
 
We tried chew toys in the cage with them, but Chips seemed to prefer the thickness and stability of the bars. So, we got long thin strips of wood, just skinny stuff from the local DIY store. People use it for beading and stuff, and secured it horizontally at the level Chips was chewing. So it was right in front of his favourite bars and he couldn't get at the metal until he destroyed the wood. By the time he destroyed the wood, he'd decided that the wood was more satisfying anyway. I think the important part was making sure the wood wasn't going anywhere. We have those fiddle sticks, but he likes them best when they're flat on the floor and he can sit on them and shred the bark off. He really likes to be able to dig in, and he doesn't get the same satisfaction from wood that moves about. I guess it's a bit like a really tough root in the ground that just won't budge.
 
Ooh, thanks for that idea! I've got some untreated wood broom handles here which I might try to tempt her with...*ponders where she can get tie wraps close to home on a Sunday*
 
My Simba chews on the bars of his cage at night too.. i think its just cos ive gone to bed and he wants to come back out. I cant seem to find much to take his attention off the bars either. He reminds me of my hamster!! Altho no way near as bad as he was.
 
I've put the rollin the hay toy back over where she chews the bars the most and it has lessened. I'm just worried about her teeth deforming.

Having said all that, she's doing it again...*sigh*

I've cut back on their feed, as well, as their teeth aren't wearing down enough so they need to eat more hay.
 
I think cable tying bits of wood is a good idea, quieter too ;) Animals can make quite a rackit when they want. I sympathise I've four rats in my room and they wake up at night, I always make the mistake of giving them newspaper or nuts in the evening and they shred/knaw very noisily all night.

Tam
 
hehehehe. Newspaper is NOT a good idea with the girls, they go to town on it. Xena rips it up and Binky first wees on it, and then eats it...um, ew!!! lol

Was going to nick some ties from work but forgot...will do some stealth "borrowing" tomorrow from the big pot...:D
 
Just want to thank everyone for the advice given in this thread. Their new willow, hay and other chew toys have been a huge success, as has the mat and the broom handles on the side of the run, too!! Things are a lot quieter and the girls seem happier, with more to do!
 
Does she chew on all the sides of the cage / run. If it is one side in particular could you cover part of that side with either some cardboard or matting or thin wood or carpet? You could cable tie it to the bars.
 
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