biting bar of cage problem!

[<3chinbaby]

My chinchila, recently, has gone back to his bad old habit. He would non-stop start biting the bar of the cage a certain location. He would just do it randomly throughout the day. I read that this could be bad for his teeth. I give him a lot of apple sticks to chew on but he wouldn't stop. I had to result in tying the bars with fleece but he'd eventually bit THROUGH the fleece and start again. It's getting annoying and I don't know how to make him stop.

He used to do this but it stopped at one point, and no its come back. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[Newt]

My Poppy goes through phases of this. I find the more attention I give her for doing it, the more she bar bites! Honestly the only thing that works for her is completely ignoring her. If I dont react to the bar biting, then she eventually stops....anything else just reinforces her habit.

Sorry I cant be more helpful....

 

[tunes]

I've had several chins who do this, and I've never had an issue with their teeth. I think they just like to do it because they are bored.

So come on mom, cave and make with the run time.

 

[Rickman]

I also had a couple doing this, but didn't notice it again after putting chew blocks in all the cages! Mine would chew then round and get them small enough to "bat" out of the cage! Hitting the floor sounded like gunshots, and stepping on one could sprain an ankle!
I think they chuckled when I'd come running in and step on it!

 

[Cedar River Chins]

OMG Rick I was cracking up I have actually hurt my ankle form said batting blocks...

 

[Cuddlebug]

My chins bat things out of their cages and then my cat fetches them and brings them to my husband or me.

I, too have a chin that bites the bars. I ignore her when she does it.

 

[searchand_dstry]

Murphy is a bar biter as well. He'll just sit there staring at me with his little hands hanging on and very lightly nibbles on them. I just don't even look at him when he does it hahaha I honestly think he does it just for attention!

I put a lot more toys in a his cage and moved it so it's behind the couch and he can't stare at me while I'm working on the computer. He does it less, but I don't know if it's because of his toys or because he can't always see me.

Unless your chin is biting so hair it's ruining the metal on the cage, I wouldn't worry about having teeth problems. Try more toys & playtime and see if that helps :]

 

[Nancy S]

I finally figured out what one of my chins does when he's biting, pulling on the cage wire door. He's wanting me to get my hand out of there and close the door and leave him alone- to eat or whatever! Also, he will sit up in his cage and hold his mouth over the wire in a very relaxed manner. So he gets really weird with the cage wires. But, the shaking the cage, that's seems like frustration--they're definately wanting something; and if only they could talk!hehe

 

[corneliuschins]

If only they could talk. I've had many that I could read their minds with the looks that they'd give, but I've always wondered what they'd really say. I'd be willing to bet that treats would be the first and most used word. Anyhow, out of everyone I had two chins who liked eating the bars. One actually chewed through the cage bars and peeled them back. I think he was planning on his escape, but really it seemed that he just liked to pull it back enough so he could sit and gnaw on it. They had more than enough toys of many different kinds and could care less. I move him into a wood cage with bar front and he did the same thing with the front bars. No stopping him. I haven't had any teeth problems either. Who knows why they do it, but as long as there are other options to chew on, I wouldn't think it'd be too big of a deal. Maybe it's their visit to the dentist, he he he.. - Jessica

 

[dabou]

Hey I know this answer is really late, but my Kahlua would often bite his cage's bars, and now that he has his saucer wheel, he doesn't do it anymore! Of course once in a while, but he pretty much doesn't bite-bars anymore.

For two months I'm at my sister's place and her boyfriend wanted me to remove the wheel cause when he jumps-runs in it it makes a whole lot of noise. When I did he started bar-biting like crazy, enough that I could not sleep at all that night! o_o

So the day after, I tried to bargain with him and finally was able to put the wheel back in. He stopped his bar-biting pretty much instantly, and would always jump on the wheel while I was trying to fix it back in his cage.

So yeah, I would say it's about them being angry at something...Cause he had many apple sticks and didn't care. He wanted his wheel =3 (scary though when I hear him stop his wheel from spinning using his teeth....the most horrible sound ever x_X )

 

[ann1]

I have a couple who do it and i think it's adorable. Mine usually do it for attention. They either want to come out and play, want a scratching, or are just begging for a hand out. I don't see the problem with it

 

[Sesame]

Sesame sits right in front of the door, grabs the wire with her teeth and shakes it like a mad woman on a tirade, trying to escape a prison or something! It's acutally quite alarming how strong she is! O_O The first time she did it, it scared us, but now we just ignore her. She has plenty of toys... so I think she just wants extra playtime or another treat of somesort...

 

[starleomach]

I have a few cage biters. they mostly do it during feeding or if I have someone else out of the cage and they think they should get a turn

 

[mishellyshel]

im with kristy. because richie is sick i take him out of the cage several times a day and when i do i notice stitch starts biting the bars.............he is actually jealous, which i just find SO interesting that they are that smart!

 

[ann1]

Mine usually aren't aggresive about it for the most part they just quickly bit along the bars. Sort of fast paced like their REALLY REALLY excited.

 

[Laurie]

Bobo used to do this all the time in her old cage! Ever since she's been in the ferret nation cage she no longer bites at the bars. I always thought it was bit funny, kind of like Hey get me outta here!

 

[Rebecca]

Jack doesn't bite the bars, but he will spend up to fifteen minutes at a time biting the little round circles that connect the sides of the QC cages. He loves making them go round and round.