Should You Give Your Hamster Grapevine Wood?
Hamsters love chewing, whether it’s vegetables and baseboards, a hamster will chew on anything it can get its teeth into. In addition to crunchy vegetables, branches can seem like a good natural choice for a gnawing hamster. But are grapevine branches safe for hamsters?
As your hamsters’ teeth are constantly growing, they need lots of chewables, such as chewing toys, and branches. Remember that every hamster has its own personality, so you may have to experiment with different varieties of branches to determine what type your hamster enjoys the most.
Giving Your Hamster Grapevine Wood
A hamster that’s kept in captivity will chew more than a hamster in the wild, especially when they’re bored. Providing your hamster with some grapevine branches and chew toys in a variety of sizes can always help to relieve their boredom.
Pay attention to your hamster’s preferences as well, as some hamsters prefer to chew, while others love to shred.
Finding Good Places To Get Branches
If you want to find some grapevine wood for your hamster to chew on (fresh or dried), keep the following in mind:
- Don’t pick fresh grapevine wood from trees or bushes in highly polluted areas, such as roads, highways, construction suites, near factories, or built-up areas of housing.
- Avoid picking up grapevine wood from places where people walk their dogs.
- Avoid grapevine branches that could have been treated with pesticides.
- Grapevine branches from a forest or a park (away from dog-walking zones) should be safe enough for hamsters.
- Grapevine branches from pet stores marketed for rodents or rabbits are acceptable for hamster use.
Preparing Grapevine Branches For Your Hamster
You’ll want to make sure that the grapevine branches are cleaned thoroughly before being given to your hamster. Here’s how:
- Remove any loose materials, like moss
- Remove any bugs
- Give the branches a rinse
- Give the branches time to dry
- If the branches are too thin, try bunching them together and placing them inside a toilet roll tube to make a fun toy for your hamster
Health Benefits Of Chewing On Grapevine Branches
Chewing on hamster-safe branches can help to keep your hamster mentally and physically stimulated.
Some hamsters kept in captivity mainly chew on things because they have nothing else to do. If a hamster spends too much time alone or isn’t given enough mental stimulation, it will chew to entertain itself or to get attention from its owner.
It’s recommended that you give your hamster a combination of small branches and chew toys to chew on once in a while.
Branches Are High In Fiber
Branches and twigs don’t only help to keep your hamsters’ teeth short. Branches also provide fiber that helps keep a hamster’s digestive system in check. They’re also incredibly nutritious for hamsters and help relieve gastric issues.
Chewing Branches And Your Hamsters Personality
You may have noticed that some hamsters prefer chewing on different objects, compared to other hamsters.
Experts believe that hamsters that enjoy chewing are often more outgoing, intelligent, and affectionate. They also love getting plenty of attention.
Positive reinforcement and offering safer distractions, such as toys and branches that are safe for a hamster are great solutions for keeping your hamster active.
