How to Clean the Hamster Cage?

Hamsters tend to urinate in one corner of their cage, so you can take advantage of this habit to keep the cage cleaner. By placing a small container of absorbent material in the area in question, you will encourage the animal to use it regularly as a "toilet".

The cage cleans up thoroughly about once a week, after transferring its occupants to an escape-proof safe place (eg a high-walled bowl) and out of reach of dogs and cats. Litter should be discarded as well as food stuffed and nesting material. The cage is thoroughly washed with warm water and soap; it can be disinfected with diluted bleach which is allowed to act for a few minutes.

Rinse thoroughly and put the whole to dry. For many cheap hamster cages, it can be convenient to wash them in the tub, so they can be easily rinsed with the shower jet. Feeders and troughs will also be emptied, washed with soap and water, and soaked in diluted bleach.

Before reuse, rinse under running water. Other plastic objects (house, wheel, etc.) or wood will be washed and rinsed, while those in cardboard will be replaced by others, clean and new.

When the cage is dry, fill the bottom of a new bedding, place the nesting material inside and dispense a small amount of fresh food. Once reintroduced into the cage, hamsters will work for several minutes to rebuild a nest and sometimes to build food reserves to replace those lost.

Some minor maintenance operations must finally be carried out every day: eliminate perishable foodstuffs (fruits, vegetables, other fresh food), check the proper functioning of the trough, check that there is sufficient food available, clean the "Toilet corner".