Potty training your hamster concentrates his waste in one spot, reduces ammonia smell, and makes cleaning his cage much easier.
Is it possible to potty train a hamster? It turns out that you can, and it’s not a difficult process. Hamsters are relatively clean animals, and many hamsters like to designate a specific part of their cage as their restroom and use it exclusively. In this situation, all you have to do is train them to use their new litter box instead of the cage floor. Some hamsters, on the other hand, are less picky about where they do their business and will require a little more training.
You’ve come to the right site if you’ve ever wondered how to potty-train a hamster. We’ll go over the necessary equipment and discuss some of our favorite potty training ideas for your hamster.
What will you need?
Good news: You won’t need much equipment to potty-train your hamster, and nothing will be prohibitively expensive.
- A container suitable for your hamster’s cage:
A wide range of relevant goods are available from pet supply stores and internet retailers. If your hamster prefers to do his business in the corner, triangular containers may be ideal. Otherwise, a square or rectangular container will suffice.
- Litter:
Litter options include wood pellets, paper pellets, sand, and a combination of the two.
When cleaning your hamster’s litter box, we recommend sand since it clumps when wet, making it easier to scoop out and dispose of. However, wood and paper pellets have better odor management, making them excellent if you don’t want to scoop the litter box every day.
Because hamsters’ respiratory systems are so delicate, you should only use dust-free, odorless items. If you can’t find proper litter for hamsters, you can use fragrance-free, dust-free cat litter, but avoid brands containing silica.
Potty training your hamster
If you’re working with a new hamster in a brand-new cage, you might want to wait a little while to discover where your hamster prefers to relieve himself. Once you’ve found your hamster’s favorite spot, thoroughly clean the cage, reserving some of the dirty lining from the cage, and install the new kitty litter box.
Fill the container with litter, then add some of the soiled lining you saved previously. If your hamster becomes used to having a litter box in his cage, he’ll be far more likely to use it because it still smells like his dedicated toilet area. It may take some time, but your hamster will eventually know his fragrance and associate the litter box with going to the bathroom.
What to do if your hamster is stubborn
You’ve done everything correctly, yet your hamster still pees everywhere except in his kitty litter box. What happens next? It’s not your fault, so relax. If you’re dealing with an older hamster, it will be more difficult to persuade him to modify his habits today than if you were working with a young hamster. Relocating the litter box to another corner of the cage could be beneficial.
Keep a watch on your hamster’s behavior. If he utilizes his litter box to store food, snacks, or toys, he may be trying to communicate that the cage is too small for him. At initially, some hamsters would sleep in their litter container. Consider purchasing a new bed for your hamster if his cage is large enough.
Lining your hamster’s cage with white bedding makes it easier to notice oopsies that occur outside of the litter box. To diminish their attractiveness to your furry pet, clean them as quickly as possible. If you catch your hamster using the potty outside his litter box, move him swiftly to show him where to go. Your hamster will eventually utilize his litter box as his chosen potty with time and patience.
Conclusion
Training takes time, but with perseverance, you can train your hamster to use a litter box. You should change out the litter box and give it a quick cleaning every one to three weeks as long as you scoop daily. Keep the cage clean and make sure your hamster has enough space to play and sleep, and you’ll have a happy hamster and an easy-to-clean cage.
If you want more helpful advice on looking after your hamster, including tips on food, toys, accessories and accommodation, add a comment below to let us know!
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