litter training or not?

kimars · 09-13-2014, 11:59 AM

Hi guys, i have 2 WW but am going to rescue a syrian this DEC. i have not litter trained my 2 WW but thought of maybe litter training my future syrian. what do you think and if you say yes to litter training could you give me some advice on with potty.

thanks from me and the pets

NiceCrocs · 09-13-2014, 12:06 PM

My syrian is litter trained, and it makes the cage stay cleaner for much longer

I use paper pellet litter in a medium-sized glass jar laying on it's side as her tray. I tried using a traditional corner-tray, but she would just push it out of the way and pee in the corner. I think she prefers to be sheltered, hence the jar.

The easiest way is to let your hamster select a bathroom spot first, then put the tray in that spot, with a little soiled bedding in it so your hamster can scent it.

It took a few months for Margo to be reliably trained, when she was very young she would potty in a few different spots, but eventually settled on one

DanniDorrito · 09-13-2014, 12:11 PM

Hey kimars,

I've toilet trained my current Syrian and honestly don't know why I never bothered with previous hamsters, its so much more convenient!

I had managed to toilet train Marbles by the 3rd day of owning him, I was surprised how easy it was for me since I had never done it before. I've read online that it can take longer for some hamsters and some don't learn at all.

For me I brought him home and waited until he had settled down and found a corner to use as a toilet regularly. I brought a plastic corner and filled it with chinchilla sand, but kept it out of the cage. As soon as I caught him peeing I waited until he had gone back to bed, then I removed all the soiled substrate and placed it into his new toilet, I then placed the toilet into that corner. He took to it immediately, I couldn't believe it!

The toilet wasn't in the most convenient spot but I waited a few days before moving it around to make sure he's still use it after it had been moved.

Since then I have upgraded his cage to a larger tank/cage topper. I had his toilet at the bottom and he wouldn't use it, a lot of his substrate got into the sand so I think that's what put him off using it. He began peeing on the plastic platforms away from the substrate. I moved it to the top and he used it again immediately.

Only thing to keep in mind is cleaning it for the first time, I was really worried if I removed his scent he would no longer use it. Hot water and soap rather than pet safe disinfectant for the first time might help, that's what I did anyway.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Skeever · 09-13-2014, 12:16 PM

Some hams naturally go to a potty, or will use something placed in their potty area....and there are more specific online / this forum guides is my guess to actively potty train them quicker...

I've had half a success with Ziggy. When he was small, he used the special toilet thingy with the special litter pellets, till I ran out of pellets.

Now that I've been using the pellets again, he's somewhat bigger so he goes into the double opening potty, sticks his front half in.....and pees directly into the litter in front of the potty, his hamster butt facing me. If I were the sensitive type I would suspect a political motivation behind this. Fortunately I'm not.

So he uses the potty in the sense of he covers his head in it, and pees outside of it. At least it's in one spot again? Then he scrabbles a bunch of litter from the potty to the place he just peed.

I spent three weeks wondering what was going on when I see the litter outside the potty all the time. Till I caught him! Mwhahahahahahaa

If Ziggy ever plans on bar chewing again, these potty videos go viral on YouTube

cypher · 09-14-2014, 01:09 AM

I found all my dwarfs except my chinese easy to train so you may still be able to do it with your WW's as well as your syrian.

It really comes down to waiting to find the spot they like to use then putting a container, tray, jar or whatever they seem happy with in that spot with some soiled substrate in till they get the hang of it.
I use chinchilla sand rather than pellets, it's more economical & easy to clean, it clumps up so you can just remove the used sand with a scoop & then clean the tray every few days or so.

kimars · 09-14-2014, 01:37 AM

thanks a lot every one i think thats a big YES!!!!!!!! to litter training. i am getting a second hand ikea detolf as my new cage but i have to what till DEC to get my hamster but i am doing a huge viovet haul to get all the stuff and if there are any products you recomend please tell me

thanks

bonkers4hamsters · 09-14-2014, 04:06 AM

I have been unable to litter train my hybrid and ww but I have trained my syrian. This came in very handy recently as we had to get urine samples off him for the vets and him being litter trained made it a lot easier and less stressful for him

Pebbles82 · 09-14-2014, 06:32 AM

Below is the basic litter tray I got and it works a treat and fits into corner. It is easy to tip litter in and out of and is big enough for a Syrian Hamster. As the others say - wait to see which corner they use as a toilet. I didn't even put soiled substrate in the potty - I just stuck it in his toilet corner and he used it straight away. He is very clean and organised my little Charlie. He pees right in the back corner, then sits in the front and washes himself, then has a little dig in it - he tends to poo in it as well. His routine is a bit like mine! He gets out of bed, has a wee in the potty tray, has a wash then goes to see what food is in his bowl - then goes back to bed (wish I could do that last bit!)

Anyway it's this one - mine is blue
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamster-corn...ty+litter+tray

starshme · 09-14-2014, 06:37 AM

I say yes to potty training - it makes it so much easier to clean the cages out. I'm still trying to figure out where the new guys are going, it's definitely not in the sand or the tray, so far.

LOL Skeever. Maybe he's just shy... if he can't see you, you can't see him right?

cookiethehamster · 09-14-2014, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimars

Hi guys, i have 2 WW but am going to rescue a syrian this DEC. i have not litter trained my 2 WW but thought of maybe litter training my future syrian. what do you think and if you say yes to litter training could you give me some advice on with potty.

thanks from me and the pets

I'd go with no because they tend to do their business in one place anyway. However, if you do decide to litter train your hamster i would suggest getting a litter tray and use a substrate completely different than what you are already using so your hamster doesn't get confused. For example if you use wood shavings then us carefresh etc.