Hams peeing in their Silent Spinners

luxbear · 10-01-2013, 11:04 AM

I've been noticing over the past month that my Robos' Silent Spinner wheels have been coated in--well, their waste--and I've been cleaning them as often as needed. I thought perhaps they were just getting it on their wheels on accident.

HOWEVER, I saw them BOTH walk into the wheels, squat, pee and walk away today for the first time. Clearly they're treating it like a toilet. I read in previous threads that they could just be "marking their territory," but is there any way I can actually encourage them to pee elsewhere/on their bedding? I thought about buying a "hamster toilet" for the corner of their tank, but I know that there's always the chance that they might not use it. I also don't know how I'd even begin to train them.

Thoughts?

POLAR WHITES · 10-03-2013, 05:14 AM

its a good idea to still have a sand bath for the hamsters as they will role in it and clean themselves, the also tend to wee in there, the weeing on the wheel as you know is a territory think and even with the add of the sand bath it might still continue,

luxbear · 10-03-2013, 05:29 AM

A sand bath is a good idea! I didn't think of that before, I always associated them with larger animals.

Munchalot · 10-03-2013, 09:18 AM

Todd loves to pee in his Silent Spinner. Little toad.

The only other places he pees is in his bath bath, or behind the wheel (as well as on it). I've given up convincing him, so I just regularly clean it.

luxbear · 10-03-2013, 09:25 AM

Hahah, it must be the design or something! I'm OK with cleaning the Spinners, but it's just a little ridiculous to see.

Clairealex · 10-03-2013, 03:04 PM

Chubs does the same thing. He does it weirdly though. He pees, runs for a second as if to coat the entire wheel, then gets off! He pees in his silent spinner or sandbath, nowhere else.

He tends to coat it in pee once then just use the sand bath until I clean the wheel. It's a running battle that he is definitely winning!

luxbear · 10-04-2013, 08:38 AM

Well, I'm definitely getting them a dust bath bowl this weekend because they're stinky lil boys!

souffle · 10-04-2013, 10:32 AM

Our dwarfs have always pee'd in their wheels. We decided that it was as well not to keep cleaning them as it just makes them do it even more so now we only clean on ' full clean day' It seems they like them nice and stinky so we just let them get on with it LOL.
Funnily enough at shows ours never have any marks deducted for staining as they are always perfectly clean and lovely underneath!
I'd just leave it if I were you as it does keep them happy

luxbear · 10-04-2013, 10:52 AM

Yeah it's kind of ridiculous to just keep cleaning it. I'll give it a wash if it really looks disgusting, but it does seem like they enjoy it better that way (marking their territory). A dust bath is definitely in order for these lil guys though!

Clairealex · 10-04-2013, 03:52 PM

I think a little give and take is best

only clean if it's particularly smelly! And just to be sure, make sure you give them a sand bath, not dust. Dust can be very dangerous for their wee lungs!