Hamsters are very clean animals and in order to keep them happy it is important that their cage is cleaned on a regular basis. It is recommended that you clean your hammy’s cage at least once a week especially if it’s a smaller one. Larger cages can go without full cleans (just change some or all of the bedding) for a longer time. Hint: Having a potty/toilet in the cage will help confine most of the mess in one place and make it easier to clean.

There are a number of steps that can be followed to ensure that your hamster cage is as clean as possible for your hamster:

1. Keep your hamster safe. Hamsters are surprisingly quick and may be difficult to catch if they escape. You can keep them in a play area or an exercise ball you are cleaning their cage as this will allow them to explore without putting themselves in danger.

2. Remove all toys, hideouts, tunnels, and other accessories. These can then be washed with warm, soapy water. You can dry them off with a towel or leave them to dry while you are cleaning out the rest of the cage. It is important to ensure that all the soap is completely washed away as this may make the hamster ill if they ingest any.

3. Remove all wood shavings (also known as sawdust in some countries) and bedding. The easiest way to do this is to place one end of the cage in a plastic bag and then tipping the contents of the cage into the bag. You will need to make sure that the cage is completely empty before moving onto the next step which means that you may need to scrape some bedding off the bottom of the cage. The corners in particular should be checked to ensure that none of the shavings or bedding is remaining. Hint: Good bedding/wood shavings can keep the cage clean and odor-free for a longer time, reducing the need for frequent changes. Find out which ones I recommend here.

4. Use a disinfectant that is designed to clean hamster cages. This type of disinfectant will not contain any chemicals that may harm your hamster. Your hamster will also be able to recognize their cage as they will have put their own scent on it and using a mild disinfectant will ensure that the cage is cleaned properly but does not get rid of this scent. This disinfectant should be left for the amount of time that is indicated on the instructions in order to allow it to dry completely before the new bedding is added to the cage. Some people also use a mixture of 1 cup water and 1 cup vinegar instead of a commercial disinfectant.

5. Put fresh wood shavings and/or bedding in the cage. The bedding should completely cover the floor of the cage and enough should be provided for the hamster to keep themselves warm when they are asleep. If you place the bedding in the area of the cage where they usually sleep then they will arrange it so they are comfortable.

6. Replace all the toys and other accessories. If you can try and put them back in the same place as they were before. Your hamster will have arranged all these toys to where they want them and they will remember where they have placed them in the cage.

Following the above steps will ensure that your hamster has a clean environment in which to live and this can go a long way to keeping them happy and healthy. Don’t forget that the hamsters food should be replaced every day and their water refilled as often as is needed.

Photo Credit: bsabarnowl

The following tips can help ensure that your hamster remains safe and healthy.

Safety tips for hamster housing

1. House the hamster in a quiet part of the house that is not too bright. This will ensure the hamster is not disturbed during the day.
2. Don’t expose the hamster to any drastic changes in temperature. If a hamster is too cold it may go into semi-hibernation. They can also develop heatstroke if they get too warm too quickly
3. Make sure your hamster is out of reach of other larger animals. Cats and dogs have been known to injure or even kill hamsters
4. Don’t put your cage in a high place. If the hamster escapes from its cage, you don’t want it to fall from a height
5. Don’t keep hamsters in pairs of the opposite sex. Not only is there a risk of pregnancy, the hamsters may attack each other
6. Don’t put two unrelated hamsters in the same cage. They are likely to fight and sustain serious injuries.
7. If your hamsters live in the same cage, separate them immediately if they fight. You don’t want to wait until one of them is dead
8. Syrian hamsters are solitary and should NEVER be housed with another hamster

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When buying new cage and accessories

1. When you buy a bar cage, make sure the gaps between the bars are small enough that the hamster cannot squeeze through them
2. Do not get a runged wheel. Your hamster may injure itself if it’s feet get caught between the rungs
3. If you are using a cage with an open top, make sure your hamster can’t escape by climbing any new accessories you add to the cage

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When feeding and caring for your hamster

1. Try to get food with no added sugar and has at least 15% protein. This will ensure that the hamster is getting a balanced diet and everything they need for a healthy digestive system
2. Give hammy something to gnaw on. Hamster teeth are continually growing and if they get too long this can cause problems.
3. Ensure the hamster gets enough exercise. Hamsters are very active creatures and a hamster wheel in the cage will provide the hamster with all the exercise it need
4. Don’t bathe your hamster in water
5. Do not use pine or cedar bedding. There are lots of great bedding available that aren’t harmful to your pet.
6. Check the water bottle daily to make sure that it’s still working and has fresh water in it
7. Don’t feed your hamster human junk food like chocolate, candy, or chips; most of it is unsafe for hamsters

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When playing with your hamster

1. Wash hands before and after handling a hamster. This will help reduce the risk of infection and can remove any smells of food from the hands that may lead to getting bitten
2. After the cage has been open make sure all doors and clasps are secure. If the hamster were to escape it may be very difficult to find it again
3. Check any plastic toys regularly. If these become broken and develop sharp edges the hamster could become injured
4. Do not hold a new hamster or a nervous one from a height. It may jump off your hand
5. Don’t grab a hamster suddenly; it might get scared and bite
6. Don’t let your hamster out unsupervised
7. If you let your hamster free-range (with supervision), make sure the room is hamster-proof
8. Don’t let your hamster in a hamster ball for long periods (more than 10 – 15 minutes)
9. If you have larger pets, make sure they can’t get to your hamster while you’re playing with or free-ranging it

Have we missed anything out? Let us know in the comments below 🙂

It gets really hot in summer (or all the time if you’re in the tropics) and unless you have air-conditioning in your home and can have it on all the time, chances are your hamster’s getting really bothered by the heat too. If temperatures go up high enough, your hamster may even be at risk for heatstroke.  Here are some tips to help your hamster cool down in hot weather:

1. Freeze your ceramic hideout

Put your hamster’s ceramic hideout in a plastic bag (for hygiene purposes!) and place the bag in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the hideout in your hamster’s cage and watch your hamster cool down in it. Repeat when necessary. If you don’t have a ceramic hideout, you can use a ceramic tile or a terra-cotta pot.

2. Use a hamster cooling plate

Get a few of those metal hamster plates and freeze them, then give one to your hamster. Replace the plate with a cool one from the freezer when it stops being cool.

3. Give your hamster some frozen treats

Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great treat in this hot weather.

4. Fill your hamster’s bottle with cold water and refill when necessary

5. Put bath sand in the freezer before giving it to your hamster

Hamsters enjoy bathing in sand and chilling the bath sand makes it even better on a hot day

6. Use a fan to circulate air near your hamster cage

Make sure the fan isn’t pointing directly at the cage though. To make it even cooler, freeze a mixture of water and salt in a bottle and place it in front of the fan. Salt lowers the freezing point of water so you’ll get cooler air blown around than if you hadn’t used the salt.

7. Place your hamster cage on lower ground

If you have stone or tile flooring, placing your hamster cage on the floor instead of on a shelf or a higher place would keep it cooler too.

8. Freeze a bottle, wrap it in towel and place it beside your hamster’s cage

The towel absorbs any condensation and also insulates the bottle so it stays cool for a longer time. Don’t put the bottle in the cage as your hamster might chew on it and cause it to leak. You can also freeze a blue ice-pack instead of a water bottle. These ice packs stay cooler longer than regular ice so you can change them less often.

9. Move your hamster cage to a cooler part of the house

10. Never put your hamster cage in direct sunlight

This is basic hamster care but I think I should repeat it anyway. A hamster’s cage should never be placed in direct sunlight.

11. Switch to a better-ventilated cage

If you are using a glass tank or a plastic cage, consider switching to a bar cage for better ventilation during the hotter months of the year. Check out HamsterCageFinder.com or HamsterCageFinder.co.uk to compare cages.
References
http://www.hammysworld.com/index.php?p=cool
http://chocolatecolors26.wix.com/thehamsteryguide#!hot-and-cold-weather/c1upq

If you’re wondering how to bathe your hamster, just remember one thing and you’ll be fine:

Hamsters should never be bathed in water

It is very stressful for them and can make them sick. Now that we’ve gotten the most important point down, let’s look at how you can properly bathe a hamster.

Most hamsters enjoy a good sand bath and that’s all they need to keep themselves free from oil and dirt. If your hamster’s fur looks wet, oily, or dirty, just give them bathing sand in a dish or bowl like this:

That’s Ichigo the robo dwarf hamster in the video above. He has a really bad habit of soiling his wheel and then sleeping in it so his fur gets yellow and dirty. To keep him clean, I usually have a dish filled with sand for him to roll in. I also made him a DIY bath tub a while ago.

When a hamster rolls in sand, oil and dirt from its fur gets rubbed off and the hamster not only looks cleaner but its fur also becomes softer. Its nails are kept short when it digs in the sand so that’s another benefit.

It’s okay to just leave the sand dish in a corner of your cage. Don’t be alarmed if your hamster starts pooing or peeing in the sand. It’s normal and you’re supposed to change the sand when it gets too dirty. Having the sand in your cage also helps potty train your hamster and keeps the rest of the cage relatively clean.

If your pet is using the sand for the first time, it may not know how to roll in it but from my experience, just leaving the sand there will help keep your hammy clean. And most of them eventually learn how to use it on their own.

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PS: The sand I used in the video is Supreme’s Bathing Sand. You can get it on Amazon (US) or Amazon (UK)