A study into viable wooden enrichment objects for Syrian Hamsters (2020)

Watson, H.

Abstract

It is known that due to the continual growth of their teeth, hamsters require a means by which to wear down their teeth and satisfy their natural desire to chew. Due to their foraging behaviour hamsters use their cheek pouches to store and carry movable items. This can cause health problems if wooden enrichment objects produce splinters which can become lodged in the cheek pouches. However, failing to provide a method to wear down the teeth can lead to detrimental behaviour such as bar chewing, and health issues, for example, overgrown teeth and tooth loss. The aim of this study was to take a comparison of wooden products available on the market and determine a safe and effective object to be provided for hamster enrichment. For two weeks, medium bricks were provided to 32 cages and balls were provided to 12 cages. The average percentage loss in weight of the trial objects over two weeks was significantly higher in the aspen balls than it was in the bricks. It was also noted that after the aspen ball had been chewed, the remains, when gently pulled away came apart in soft and short curls. These results confirm that a ball shape object is a more interactive and stimulating design for hamster and the ball is thereby more frequently chewed by the hamsters.