How To Take Care Of A Hamster

Don't Know How To Take Care Of A Hamster? This Is The Perfect Place For You!

How To Clean A Hamster

Before you even start to clean your hamster, you need to know the reason why you need to do so. This is because you do not need to clean for your hamsters as they will clean themselves all the time.

Your average hamster will not need even a single bath in his or her lifetime. If your hamster is stinky, cleaning out the cage regularly (that means touching up daily, and changing all of the bedding weekly) should be sufficient.

The only time when you need to clean your hamsters is when there is something on their coat that will harm them. Such as something toxic or something that will choke them if they try to clean up themselves.

If you've spilled, say, antifreeze on your hamster, you will probably wish to bath it.

If your hamster is not life-threateningly dirty, a sand bath should be sufficient. Get some chinchilla sand (make sure it's sand, not dust, which can cause respiratory problems) at the pet store and put it in a little bowl for your hamster.

If the sand is a permanent fixture in your hamster's cage or playpen, make sure to check it daily as your hamster may start using it as a litterbox.

If there is something sticky or toxic on your hamster, make sure there is no other way to remove it. If your long-haired hamster has gum in its fur, you might be able to simply cut it out.

If you absolutely must bathe your hamster, get a bowl and fill it with one or two inches of lukewarm water.

Very gently, moisten your hamster, taking care to keep the water away from your hamster's face area.

If water alone will not remove the toxic and/or sticky substance, you can use a very small amount of the mildest baby shampoo you can find. Be very careful to keep the suds away from your hamster's face.

Rinse the hamster.

Place your hamster on a towel and gently pat it dry.

Get a hairdryer and put it on the lowest possible setting. Hold it a couple of feet away from your hamster. Make sure to keep a hand between the the hairdryer and your hamster to prevent burns.

Give your hamster a seed and put it back in its cage to sleep off its annoyance.

Tips You Need To Know

Do this on a warm day if you can, as hamsters are very susceptible to chills.

If you have a skittish sort of hamster, you may want to conscript a friend or family member to help you, especially when you're drying the hamster off.

Do not put the hamster back in its cage until it is completely dry.

There is no good reason you should ever have to do this. Don't let your hamster near anything toxic. Don't spill things on your hamster. Don't let your hamster run around in the garage. Don't attach gum to your hamster. Life is weird and stuff happens, but a little common sense goes a long way.

How To Clean A Hamster Cage

1. Take your hamster out of its cage and put it somewhere such as a hamster ball, a box or an enclosed space where it can run around.

2. Take the top off the cage and remove the water bottle and the food bowl. Empty the bottle, and rinse it out. Use a thin brush to clean the inside and then fill it back up with fresh, cold water. Empty the food bowl into the bin and clean it out, then put in some fresh food.

3. If the cage has any tubes or ladders etc, take them out and clean them with warm water and a cleaner that will be safe for your hamster.

4. Empty out the sawdust or shavings and bedding from your hamsters cage and empty them into the bin. Your hamster usually has a corner which it goes to the toilet in, this should be cleaned out daily. Wash the cage thoroughly.

5. Line the bottom of the cage with sawdust or wooden shavings and put in some fresh papery bedding.

6. Replace the food bowl, water bottle and re-attach all the tubes and compartments if your cage has them. Replace any toys or chews.

7. Put your hamster back in his clean cage and let him remake his bed!

Tips You Need To Know

It helps if you have a big cage with lots of space for your hamster to move around, as it will make your pet happier!

You should change the hamsters water every day.

Using vinegar also works. Please make sure you rinse well before putting your hamster back into the cage.

Some people use a disinfecting wipe and then rinse.

Habitrail, CritterTrail, and SAM cages are all dishwasher safe! Take the cage apart as far as you possibly can, place in dish washer and run the washer (you can use regular dishwasher detergent). This cleans the cage far better then any other method. If you do not have one of these types of cages, just do it the old-fashioned way.

Never use any citrus-scented disinfectants seeing as it can damage your hamster.

Remember, you don't have to clean your hamsters all the time, but you need to clean the cage often.

About Us
Contact us
Privacy Policy
Sitemap

How To Take Care Of A Hamster

Choosing The Right Hamster Cage

Feeding The Right Hamster Food

Toys For Hamsters

How To Take Care Of A Baby Hamsters

Choosing The Right Hamster Bedding

Is Your Hamster Sick?

How To Train And Tame Your Hamsters

Cleaning Your Hamsters And The Cage

Tips On Hamster Care

Frequently Asked Questions