Toilet problems

[Larrymom]

Hello.

I have recently bought Larry a potty. I've sprinkled peed on bedding/Poo on there however he isn't using it as a toilet! He just rolls around in there. I picked up his toilet roll tube today and it stunk and was soaking wet through!
Is there any other ways I can make him use it? Or at least find somewhere else to go.

Thanks.

[DrKMcK]

Hi Larrymom. Some hamsters are able to be potty trained for pee. Unfortunately, not all of them will do it. All you can do it try. Lots of hammies like to roll around in the sand or potty litter. There's not much you can do if a hamster doesn't cooperate. As far as I can tell, a hammy owner is just lucky if hammy cooperates. I usually just let my hammy pick a spot. Some new hammies will try several before they pick one certain spot. I know it's discouraging when your own hammy won't potty train and others talk about how their hammy makes it so easy to clean the cage by using their potty so nicely. It sounds like you've tried everything you can. Maybe someone else has some other ideas for you.

[Larrymom]

I wouldn't mind if he had picked a nice spot but the toilet tubes smell immediately. He's a fussy little one. In his old cage he had plastic tubes on the side and that was his toilet, I think he must miss them so he's using cardboard ones now. Good job family members donate their used rolls to me!

[DrKMcK]

LOL. What you might do is don't give tubes of any kind until hammy chooses a pee spot or uses the sandbox. It's worth a try.

[Piebald]

Put his potty in a big tube? (split the top?) Or put some of the smelly tube pieces in the potty and put it right next to the tube entrance/exit?

[Esmy]

Try play sand! All 3 of my Syrians will use sand for pee if given it. Keep in mind they will still poo anywhere even if they pee in one spot.

[Jen250]

If I were you, I'd put the toilet right where the smelly tube was and put some of the smelly tube in there. That will probably be enough to get him into the habit of using it.

My hamster also rolls around in his, but he does use one corner of it as a toilet.

[fluffybumolivia]

My hammie Hamish would use the loo but as soon as I gave him the sand bath, he started using it to pee in. So I would try that!