Do hamsters need a litter and a sand boxe?

[Rirdan]

Hi everyone,

We are about to adopt a Syrian long-haired hamster. I wanted to ask, do hamsters need a litter box or do they pee/poo anywhere in the cage? Also, do they need a sand box? (my daughter says they they do, but I am not so sure about it)

[Crystalroborovski]

Sand boxes are not a need of hamsters, but they have many benefits. I know that some Syrians don't take interest in sand pits much. Some of the benefits of a sand pit are:
-Helps keep nails trim
-Cool place for hot weather
-Good for digging
-Hamster can roll in it to clean fur

In the end a sand box isn't an absolute neccesity but it's just a nice extra. Also be sure that the sand is either chinchilla sand (not dust) or sterilized children's playsand.

As for litter boxes-
This isn't a necessity either. A lot of hams will pee in their wheels, in a corner(s) of the cage, or in a sand bath if you have one. If you do have a litter box the hamster would use it to pee in. They don't have much control over when they poop so the poo will often end up where the hamster spends most of its time. Poop doesn't smell and it isn't very harmful if left in the cage, however pee is smelly. If you have any more questions just ask

[cypher]

Sand isn't essential for syrians, some will enjoy it & others may just ignore it, if you have the space in the cage it's definitely worth trying it out as your ham might really like it.
Most hams will pee in one place so a litter tray can just make spot cleaning a lot easier & if your ham pees in the house you can encourage them to use the tray by putting some damp substrate in it.
If you use a litter tray don't use the granules sold for them as they aren't really safe, just put normal substrate or sand in it.

[Drago]

As mentioned above, sand isn't a necessity. Some of my hams have loved sand while others couldn't care less about it. It's really up to you as to whether or not you provide them with a sand pit

As for a litter tray, it will help with cleaning and keeping smell down (as Syrian cages can get quite smelly if not maintained properly). However, it's definitely not necessary. I've never used a tray in all honesty as I've just found it easier to scoop out the bedding in my hamster's toilet corner. It's all really up to you

Good luck with your new ham!