| Cleaning the Cage |
| Cleaning equipment Necessary: _ paper towels _ toothbrush _ spout brush _ small plastic scraper _ scrubbing brush Every day (preferably in evening) _ take out fresh food that is uneaten _ top up the water bottle and make sure that it's working _ if necessary, clean and/or empty the food bowl of husks etc _ put fresh litter in the litter tray, after washing and drying it; * put a bit of old litter on top, so your hamster recognises it as its toilet tray _ without disturbing the cage too much, remove soiled food or other unwanted objects Once a week (Every 2-4 days if your hamster is living in 1 small to average-sized cage) Clean the cage. (If your hamster is living in more than one cage, clean out the dirtiest one each week, unless both are very dirty). Here's how: _ find and remove a bit of the hoard (the food your hamster has stashed) to replace in the cage _ empty the tray/aquarium; save some bedding and shavings to put back in the cage to make your hamster feel at home. _ empty everything from the sleeping box, or your hamster's nest; save some bedding to put back into the sleeping box, or where the nest was. _ scrub the bottom and sides of the tray with hot water _ remove any stains if necessary with the scraper; rinse and dry the tray thoroughly _ refill the tray with shavings, putting the old ones you saved on top; add some hay or bedding material. _ sweep away old food and shavings from the platforms _ if necessary, rinse and scrub the wheel and food bowl _ completely empty the water bottle and refill _ rearrange the platforms, tubes, toys, food bowl etc. inside the cage; make it as interesting and different as possible (but don't forget to keep the water bottle in easy reach!) Once a month Clean the tray (the same as every week) and clean the top and sides of the cage: bars, glass panels. If your hamster is living in more than one cage, clean out all the trays. Clean the tubes connecting them and rearrange them: _ WIRE CAGE: wipe down the bars of the cage with a warm, damp cloth. Scrape off any old food, etc, stuck onto the bars. Dry thoroughly so they don't rust AQUARIUM: clean the glass walls with a damp, warm cloth. Dry thoroughly. _ wipe the platforms with a damp cloth _ clean the ladders and ramps _ dry with towels or paper towels |
| Cleaning the Cage (Feel free to print this checklist. For personal use only) |
| Cleaning the cage is part of keeping a hamster, just like cleaning the litter box is part of keeping a cat. Cleaning the cage doesn't have to be a chore: rearranging the cage after cleaning can be very fun and you have a chance to be creative. Also, just the satisfaction of knowing that you have done your hamster a big favour can be enough to make it seem worthwhile. Some tasks when cleaning your cage have to be done daily, or at least every two days, while others only have to be done once a month. Here's a check list to keep you on the right track. |
| Equipment Feeding The Cage Handling An Interesting Life Finding a Lost Hamster Health Dealing with Hamster Loss |
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| Optional: _ bowl _ rubber gloves _ dustpan _ cleaning cloth _ bottle brush |