Wooden shelf/carpet query?!

[RolyRocks]

Hey guys, just a quick question...

I have a new wooden corner shelf for my hamsters cage and just wondered if I could put anything on the base of it, like carpet for example but I can't imagine that is very safe for hamsters?! His water bottle drips occasionally and I don't want it soaking straight into the wood.

Thanks and sorry if it is a bit of a silly question!

[AmityvilleHams]

Carpet would not be safe as if ingested(very likely - anything inside a hamster's cage should either be digestible and chewing safe or chew proof and impossible to ingest).

While substrate should be able to absorb bottle leaks, a shallow bowl underneath might help as long as that bowl is not chewable and is used safely(not just on top of substrate as it could fall through and seriously injure your hamster). I would go with glass or ceramic, but this would need an extra platform if you want to have substrate that isn't extremely shallow where the bottle is while doing so(again not safe with just deep substrate and a bowl as it can injure your hamster - either do a secure platform and then add the bowl or just use deep substrate and nothing else).

[RolyRocks]

Thanks.. I did think carpet would probably be a big no no! I just thought I remember seeing in somebody's post some sort of material on their shelf.... maybe i'm remembering wrong!

[LunaTheHamster1]

i think people have used hemp liners of some sort on shelves, maybe that is what was seen.

If it is just purely to protect from water, you could use plastikote which people use to cover wooden wheels or you could put a stone there.

I have wooden shelves, and I always squeeze my water bottles when in place to check they are working and the water has not harmed the shelves. A constant drip may be something to worry about, but if it is not that often you could be ok.

[sushi_78]

I have my hamster's sand bath under the water bottle to catch any drips.

[Ria P]

I put a small glazed terracotta plant pot saucer under the bottle and my dwarf likes to sit in it. Sits in it drinking, grooming and napping!
What you saw as a shelf covering was likely to be a hemp mat. Rodipet sells them but you'd still need something water resistant directly under the bottle.

[RolyRocks]

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes I think it was probably a hemp mat I saw.
Great pic Ria P!
Funny you should mention a sand bath sushi_78 as I had a question regarding them as well!
Do you only leave them in cages for a short time or can they stay in there?
Thanks guys!

[sushi_78]

They can stay in there all the time, and ideally should. Your hamster might use it as a toilet, which will make spot cleaning easier. The times your hamster is active and wants to use the sand bath may not always coincide with the times you're able to put the sand in either.

[Ria P]

A sand bath can stay in the cage. Some cages have whole sand areas and sand baths vary in sizes and purpose. Some hamsters roll in it, others chuck the sand out, some hamsters use sand for toileting purposes only and others run around in it and that's covering my hamsters only. You'll find out what your hamster will do with the sand.

[RolyRocks]

Thanks a lot guys, I'll soon find out what my hamster makes of his sand bath, sounds like it can be quite entertaining !!