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Old 08-05-2017, 03:45 PM   #1
sniffles
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Default Toilet training

We've had our hamster for a couple of weeks now and he seems to be settling in fine. I had a "toilet tray" in his cage from the outset. After a few days I noticed he was peeing in the corner opposite where the house/nest is. So I cleaned out the corner, moved the toilet to there and put some of the soiled substrate and some bits of poo in the toilet tray. I don't think he liked this trick because since then he's taken to peeing on the top tier of the cage, leaving a smelly puddle in the corner each day! He also poos everywhere, not in the same place all the time.
How can I get him to use the toilet or even just go back to using the original corner?

Also when I cleaned out the house/nest for the first time today there was quite a lot of poo in there and the bedding was a bit damp like he might have weed in it too. Is this normal, I thought hams kept their nests clean of waste, there was some food in there too, seems pretty unhygienic!
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Old 08-05-2017, 10:39 PM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Toilet training

Don't worry about poo, that isn't always in the same place & is often in the nest, they need to eat some & the rest is dry so you don't have to clean it frequently like pee.
What do you have in the toilet tray? It might be worth experimenting a bit as some like to pee on substrate but others really like to use chinchilla sand (the same as you use for a sand bath) don't use the pellets sold for litter trays as they aren't entirely safe.
Have another go at moving the tray to the new pee spot & see how that goes.
It's still early days & it can take a while for them to decide on a permanent pee spot.
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Old 08-06-2017, 12:59 AM   #3
sniffles
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Default Re: Toilet training

Ok thanks, in the toilet is wood shavings which is same as the corner he first chose. Now he goes on the top tier which is bare plastic.
As for the poo in the nest should I clean it out or leave some of it in there like the food hoard?
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Old 08-06-2017, 02:19 AM   #4
cypher
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Default Re: Toilet training

Just clean out any poo in the nest when you clean that area, not too often, you don't need to leave it in there.
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Old 08-16-2017, 01:27 PM   #5
sniffles
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Default Re: Toilet training

Ok so the little guy seems to be dead set on using the top level of his cage as his urinal, unfortunately this is a plastic shelf so is getting pretty smelly. What's the best way to dissuade him from this? I've tried mopping up the wee with a tissue and putting it where I want him to go, but this didn't work. I'm thinking to just remove the shelf, so he has to choose a new (hopefully more suitable) spot. Was just wondering if there was any good reason not to take this approach.
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Old 08-16-2017, 07:43 PM   #6
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Default Re: Toilet training

Plastic is quite porous so it's likely that the scent of urine is stuck and he'll keep coming back there.Either remove the plastic and replace it with a DIY wood shelf(hamster safe natural wood,sealed with a DIY wood seal that is hamster safe being best which can be found with a quick Google as can enzymatic cleaner recipes)or find/make an all natural enzymatic cleaner and just clean the plastic part with it.
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Old 08-16-2017, 10:31 PM   #7
cypher
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Default Re: Toilet training

Plastic is usually easy to clean but if it's really a problem could you not put a tray in the spot where he pees on the shelf?
As for taking the shelf out it depends on what he uses the space on top & underneath for, if he sleeps under there for example it could be quite disturbing for him but that's something only you can judge really.
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Old 08-20-2017, 11:14 PM   #8
sniffles
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Default Re: Toilet training

The main problem is the shelf, being the top level on the cage, you have to take out all the lower shelves to get it out to clean it. I'll give a tray a try, otherwise I'll just remove it.
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Old 08-21-2017, 01:15 AM   #9
Ruth Edwards
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Default

When you start using a tray or hamster toilet, put some of the wet bedding in it so it smells like their pee spot. Even an older ham like Daisy learned to use a toilet so there's definitely hope.

Also I found the hams like their pee spot to be at the opposite side of the cage from their nest, probably they don't enjoy the smell either?

Last edited by Fluffagrams; 08-21-2017 at 01:49 AM. Reason: Consecutive posts
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