How To Clean Your Hamster Cage

To keep your hamster healthy and fit it is important that you clean your hamster cage regularly, which will usually mean about once a week. Whilst some cages have a special area for your pet whilst you are cleaning the hamster cage, if yours does not, you can put your hamster into a small box whilst you take the cage apart to clean it. Alternatively if you have a hamster exercise wheel, you could let your hamster run around in this for the short time you should need to clean out the cage. Once you have removed your hamster, you might want to wear rubber gloves for the cleaning part.

Change the wet bedding (this can be easier if you provide a hamster toilet, which can limit the area that gets wet and soiled), and remove any rotten food that your hamster has stored away in its nest. When you need to replace the nest material, try and leave a little of the existing material as it will retain the scent your hamster is comfortable with.

Whilst you have the bedding out of the cage give the plastic parts and the wire mesh a good clean with hot soapy water (use dishwasher detergent) and give them a good rinse before drying. You can then spray a suitable small pet disinfectant.

Then, when all is dry, you can put in clean bedding (along with some of the saved older bedding and food stash) back into the clean hamster cage, trying to put things back in the same place that they were in before, and put your hammy back into its nice clean cage.

Finally, it can also be a good idea to have a regular day to clean your hamster cage so that this chore does not get forgotten and your hamster will thank you for it!
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