Cleaning your hamster's cage

Your hamster will rely on you to keep their home fresh and clean. Cleaning your hamster’s cage is one of the most important parts of caring for your pet. With the right setup, this shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Even the youngest hamster owner should be able to keep their companion’s cage clean. Discover why keeping your hamster’s cage clean is so important, what all it entails, and how often to do it to keep your hamster healthy and happy.

Why a clean home is important

Just like other pets, hamsters need a clean environment in order to look and feel their best. Hamsters are generally clean animals that keep themselves clean, and will usually choose one area or corner of their cage to use as their toilet. But, if this area becomes too saturated or pungent, they’ll use different areas of their enclosure – which can quickly become a smelly situation for everyone.

Bedding that isn’t changed frequently enough can lead to skin or coat issues in your hamster, along with respiratory problems or other health concerns. Feces can become matted in your hamster’s fur, and the room that houses your hamster will start to stink. Thankfully, these issues are easily avoided with regular cage cleanings and bedding changes.

The Omlet Hamster Habitat is designed to be easy to clean

How do I clean my hamster’s cage?

Cleaning your hamster’s habitat should be part of your routine. Hamsters rely on their owners to keep their environment clean and comfortable, so the importance of regular cleaning is paramount. Having an easy-to-clean hamster enclosure makes this task quick, easy, and even enjoyable — turning this chore into an activity that you will look forward to.

There are two different types of cleaning when it comes to your hamster’s home: a quick clean, and a thorough cleaning. Quick cleanings can take just a few minutes or less, while thorough cleanings may take a little longer. Here’s what each looks like.

Quick cleaning (everyday)

Remove any soiled bedding, usually in an isolated corner or area. Wipe down any visibly dirty surfaces, and replace the removed bedding with fresh material. Refresh your hamster’s food and water, and wipe down the nozzle of the water bottle to remove any debris. Inspect accessories like your hamster’s exercise wheel to make sure that it’s spinning freely and easily, and wipe it clean if needed. Check to make sure that your hamster hasn’t displaced their bathing sand, or used it as a litter box, and clean or refresh it as needed.

During a quick cleaning, you may want to rearrange your hamster’s toys or accessories to give them a fresh perspective. This will keep your hamster engaged physically and mentally, and help keep boredom at bay. Try not to disturb any places where your hamster has food stashed, unless you see fresh food that could spoil.

Thorough cleaning (monthly)

Remove your hamster and any freestanding toys or accessories from their habitat, and place them in a hamster playpen. Take the bedding tray and completely remove and throw away all of the bedding. Wipe or spray the tray down with water, or with a mild soap if needed. Completely rinse the tray, and wipe dry or allow to air dry completely. Wipe down all surfaces of the remaining portions of your hamster’s home, such as their wheel, food bowl, and water bottle, and remove to wash their hamster ramps and platforms, or tunnels. Refresh the bedding, and replace all of the components once everything is dry.

Thorough cleanings are a convenient time to perform a hamster health check on your pet. Before placing them back in their habitat, take the time to look them over and feel for any changes. This will ensure that your hamster’s health is checked at least once a month, and give you an opportunity to note any differences you may find.

Your pet will thank you for it's nice clean cage

Omlet and your hamster

Keeping your hamster’s home clean shouldn’t be a burden, so we decided that traditional hamster cages needed a re-think. The result is our hamster habitat: designed with you and your hamster in mind. Gone are the days of smelly, hard to clean cages. Now, you can enjoy cleaning your hamster’s home so that it’s no longer a chore, but an activity to look forward to. The result is the accomplishment of a job well done, and a very happy, healthy hamster. Combined with our hamster tunnels, ramps and platforms, your hamster will live their biggest life in the best environment possible.