Potty Training Help Needed!

atsui · 06-05-2018, 07:10 PM

Hi everyone, I just got my lovely boy Sebastian a month ago, and I've been trying to potty train him for a week now.

He was already 4 months old when i got him so he was already sexually mature. He is so cheeky about potty training it makes me laugh! I placed his potty in the corner that he likes to burrow in, and the next morning he peed right next to it!

He doesnt use his hideout, because he much prefers to sleep burrowed under the bedding. I decided to potty train because cleaning out the pee under all that bedding was a lot of work, and it made the whole cage stinky. I tried moving his food and water to other corners, but to no avail. He still refuses to pee in the potty! He usually just goes in it to dig at the litter and it spills out and gets the little litter balls everywhere -_-

Other than that, sassy little Sebby consistently pees UNDER the potty in the bedding! Ive read that hamsters typically dont pee where they sleep/drink/eat but mine sure does! Other than that, he loves to pee on his wheel as well, which is frustrating for me because i have to clean it every day. He also runs while the pee is still there so he steps all over it and then Sebby becomes stinky as well! I dont really MIND cleaning it everyday but it would sure be nice to not have to!

My main issue is that ive seemingly tried everything! I've moved his food and water to corners and ive left the litter box in the corner that he doesnt sleep in so i was hoping he would use it because thats the only corner left... But nope! he just pees where he sleeps. Ive tried moving his litter box to his sleeping corner but then he just sleeps in another corner! -_- I've placed soiled bedding and paper towel that i wipe up his pee with in the litter box but he doesnt pay them any attention and just keeps on peeing on the wheel. Please help! I'm so bewildered as to why any of this didnt work! if there are any more tips please help because i am totally lost as to how i can potty train him!

cypher · 06-05-2018, 10:53 PM

Peeing in the wheel is normal, don't clean it every day or he will probably just do it more, a wipe down with a damp paper towel once a week should be enough.
Some hams do prefer to pee in the nest or somewhere underground so it can take a while to get them to use a litter tray, don't use litter pellets as they aren't safe, if you can get chinchilla sand (not dust) the same as you would use for the sand bath try that in the litter tray, most hams like to pee in sand, if not then just put substrate in the tray.
Keep putting some peed on substrate on top of the tray to help him get the idea.
I wouldn't move things around in the cage that will only unsettle him & could make things worse.
It may take time but just keep trying.

atsui · 06-06-2018, 12:07 AM

thanks for the help! i just threw out the litter and ill be on the lookout for chinchilla sand. Ive heard childrens playsand is safe too? or is this not the case? ive also heard that Reptisand for reptiles is also safe as it is pure quartz with no calcium. I read somewhere that moving the litter box to where he pees the day before could encourage him but I guess that was just misinformation!

cypher · 06-06-2018, 12:20 AM

Children't play sand is safe but you do need to bake it in the oven to dry & sterilise it first, sorry can never remember the time & temp as I don't do it myself.
Reptile sand isn't considered safe.
It's Ok to move the tray to where he's peed but then just leave it & give it time, unless he consistently pees somewhere else for several days, a week or more then move it again.
If you've only been using the tray for a week it's still very early days so give him a chance to get used to it for now.