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Hamsters are great pets, but if you don’t control where they go to the bathroom, you may find that they can create quite an odor, and you’ll spend a lot of your time cleaning out their cage and replacing the bedding. Luckily, hamsters are more intelligent than many people give them credit for, and you can train them to do several tricks, the most important of which is using the litter box.
If you have a hamster that can benefit from training, keep reading while we provide you with a step-by-step tutorial for training your hamster on how to use a litter box.
How to Potty Train Your Hamster in 5 Steps
1. Purchase a Litter Box
The first thing you will need before you can begin potty training your hamster is a litter box. There are plenty of brands available online, and most smaller models will work fine as long as you follow a few guidelines.
- It needs to fit in a corner.
Hamsters like to pee in the corner of their cage, so we recommend the triangle-shaped bathroom because it will fit better than the round type.
- It should have a cover.
While not as important as fitting into the corner, a cover over the box will help your hamster feel more secure. Your hamster will prefer the potty’s protected space over the unprotected space it usually uses, so it will be easier to train it to use the potty.
2. Fill With a Substrate
Next, you must place a substrate in the bottom of the litter box. Sand is ideal because it’s heavy and prevents the box from tipping over or moving around while your hamster is getting in and out. If it’s too light, your hamster might knock it out of the corner and return to peeing on the floor of the cage. Your pet can also dig into a sand substrate, something it likes to do while using the bathroom. If you don’t have sand, you can use paper or wood.
3. Add Litter Pearls
You’ll need to add litter pearls to your substrate, which is a special litter for small animals. The pearls are highly absorbent, and some brands claim they can hold ten times its weight in moisture. They also have an odor that lets the pet know it should use the area as a litter box. They’re inexpensive, and a single bag should last a while since you only need a few pearls at a time.
4. Clean the Cage
Pay attention to where your hamster last peed, and then clean the cage to remove all traces of urine, but save a bit of the peed-on substrate for later. Your hamster uses scent to know where to go, so you need to eliminate the scent in all areas besides the litter box. A commercial small pet disinfectant can eliminate the odors.
5. Place the Litter Box in the Cage
Once you sanitize the cage properly, you can install the litter box. As we mentioned earlier, install it in the corner of the cage and try to place it in the same corner your hamster last used. Place the used substrate in the litter box to alert your hamster where to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the Litter Box Doesn’t Work?
This method is not always effective on the first attempt, and it could take several weeks for your pet to catch on. While you are waiting, you must keep the cage clean and move the litter box to the corner where your last hamster was used. If you have patience, you will be successful, and your hamster should continue to use it for the remainder of its life.
My Hamster Only Urinates in the Litter Box—What Should I Do?
Unfortunately, hamsters cannot control where they poop and will usually do it where they sleep. However, using a sand substrate will make it easy to pick up, and containing the pee in one area will reduce the odor from the cage and make it easier to clean.
My Hamster Stopped Using the Litter Box—What Now?
Your hamster should use the litter box for the remainder of its life. The most common reason they go outside the designated area is that the box is dirty and needs cleaning. The type of substrate you use and how much you put in the box will affect how often your pet can use it before it needs to be changed. The pearls will absorb plenty of fluid, but they have limitations and usually turn into a gel when you need to replace them.
If your hamster is suffering from high anxiety, they may go outside the litter box. If you keep it clean but your hamster is not using it, look for things that might be causing stress, like loud noises or an aggressive dog or cat.
- You may also like to read: Why is My Hamster Losing Hair? 5 Common Reasons
Summary
Teaching your hamster to use the litter box is the best way to reduce the cage’s odor. It also makes cleaning easier since the fluids stay in one removable section. Cleaning the box is not difficult, and a bag of litter pearls will last you several months. The sooner you get started training your pet, the easier it will be to teach it new habits, but this method will work with hamsters of any age.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this tutorial and learned how to create a better environment for your pet. If you are going to try this method, please share our guide to potty training your hamster on Facebook and Twitter.
- Should you get a hamster or a gerbil? Our guide has more!
Featured Image Credit: Vinicius R. Souza, Shutterstock
