Somewhat Silly Minor Crisis

[AmityvilleHams]

Recently when opening a package of flax seed,I tore the package.In a moment of desperation and while lacking other options,I ended up having to pour them all into a container which previously contained a few used hamster toys While I wouldn't worry if it were just going to be used for the hamster whose toys were in there,I do worry about it causing problems if I get more small pets any time soon which would get to eat the flax seeds.

Does it sound like it would cause any problems as long as the hamster is healthy and not going to spread illness,or should I just feed this batch of seeds to her alone?

[Fluffagrams]

Unless there's any sign of illness in the hamster that the toys belong to, then I think you should be fine.

My hamsters will often go straight into a playbin at playtime that has been used by one of my other hamsters and this includes shared toys. They've often come across and nibbled a few crumbs that may have been left in the bins by other hamsters without problems.

If it were the other way around and the toys belonged to a hamster that you have recently brought home then I'd probably be more cautious with feeding the seeds to your existing hamster until you know that the newer hamster is clear from any contagious illness.

[AmityvilleHams]

That's what I was thinking I think I'll just be careful with things coming into contact with any new hamsters or other small pets once I get more pets,so most likely I'll do a sterilization of scoops before the new pets arrive and then putting things on disposable plates or other containers before feeding and continuing with washing hands between handling pets etc.

[Fluffagrams]

It's mainly during the quarantine period that you have to be careful, once that has passed, it's less crucial that any cross contamination is avoided unless one of them develops an illness but if you feel more comfortable keeping things more separate then it's best to go with that.

[Pebbles82]

You could also put the whole tub in a freezer for a week That should kill any germs and may also help remove any scent of the other hamster from the toys that were in there. Then you won't need to try and remember in the future about whether they're ok or not.

[cypher]

Freezing does seem to help remove scent but it won't kill germs Serendipity, you need heat for germs/bacteria & freezing for bugs!

[Pebbles82]

Ooh I didn't know that!

[AmityvilleHams]

I think I'm going to also invest in lots of extra new containers as well,just to avoid frantic searching when things like this happen.Plus,you can never go wrong with more compact and secure storage for things like seeds which would go everywhere if a bag fell or anything like that especially if you have carpet as flooring instead of something that doesn't collect every little thing that falls onto it!