(no subject)
I am at my wit's f--king end. I have cared for hamsters for over six years and have had Dorothy for a year and a half. She is a very good hamster but has become SO needy. Her bin cage is huge, I just moved her to a bigger one actually, and has plenty of housing and toys but she won't stop pawing at or chewing on the lid. The most annoying is that she chews on her water bottle holder and water bottle stem - both metal. The sound drives me absolutely batshit, I can't sleep unless she is too, and I feel like every 20 minutes I'm in my room I have to get up and monitor Dorothy. She can't go without a water bottle. The worst part is that her teeth are severely crooked now - she did this for three days while I was out of state and my roommate was watching her. I don't know what the hell else to do. She now knows when I'm in the room and demands attention as much as she can when she recognizes my presence. I feel she's more intelligent than other hamsters I've had and mimics my sounds, too, so I feel like this is just her knowing that if she's annoying enough I'll pick her up. I spend a lot of time in my room and can't waste all of it removing and replacing a hamster's water bottle. I just don't know what else to do. If I give her a water dish she knocks it over. I have never been this absolutely stumped with hamsters before but now I am. Help?!