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03-08-2016, 03:53 PM
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#1
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 80
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Feed dish is toilet
Our newest hamster is sitting in his food dish and using it for his potty. Is this normal?
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03-08-2016, 04:53 PM
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#2
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Banned
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 4,407
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
Is he peeing or pooping? Or both?
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03-08-2016, 05:34 PM
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#3
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 80
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
Both. I can't imagine it's very sanitary.
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03-08-2016, 05:41 PM
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#4
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Banned
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 4,407
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
I had a Syrian poop in his food & it looked bad but not a problem as sometimes they eat their poop. Yummy!
But I don't know about peeing in their food? Maybe somebody else with peeing experience can help? Not to worry though, I think you just have to feed enough so they don't have stashes of urinated food is all? I'm just guessing that is?
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03-08-2016, 09:24 PM
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#5
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Dwarf whisperer
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
It's not that unusual, they pee on their food to protect it from being stolen!
Most grow out of it but it can be caused by over cleaning & removing the food hoard when you clean.
One way to help avoid it is to not use a bowl, scatter feed so he has to collect up the food & find somewhere safe to stash it, if he makes a hoard & pees on it just remove any wet food & replace it with fresh mix.
Poo isn't a problem.
__________________
Slave to Zak.
Always loved, never forgotten, forever in my heart
T'ycor, Ziggy, Zephyr, Flynt, Mickle, Little Whisp, Zen, Zeki, Tinwë, Zylvan, Míriel, Calyanwë, Gusto & Meri ❤️
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03-09-2016, 05:41 AM
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#6
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Adult Hamster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Posts: 288
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
When I had Lexi she used to stash it in the corner and pee on it and then put some in her house. She did it for a few days and then would stop until I cleaned her cage. One thing I learnt was not to clean her full cage. I didn't realise that it was upsetting her at first. Now with all my hams I spot clean rather than doing a full cage clean and replace any stored food with fresh. Spot cleaning and keeping their scent in the cage should help. Do you clean her bowl with anything that has a strong smell? She might be marking herself on the bowl?
__________________
Proud mummy of Weaver, Rupert and Gemma the cat.
Sleep well little Lexi, my princess. Sleep well Pope my little scruff ball.
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03-09-2016, 02:05 PM
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#7
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 80
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
I just brought him home on Saturday and haven't cleaned anything since it was a fresh setup. However maybe he is marking is territory as suggested.
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03-09-2016, 02:13 PM
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#8
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Pink Glittery Hamsters
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 6,037
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
Could you try using a different bowl for the food - maybe put it somewhere else? - and then putting some old substrate into that bowl and letting him use it as a toilet anyway? They tend to use the same spot for a toilet ...
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03-09-2016, 02:23 PM
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#9
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 80
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
Thank u all for the input. Pinkneon, I think I will try that.
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03-09-2016, 10:03 PM
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#10
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Dwarf whisperer
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
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Re: Feed dish is toilet
If you only brought him home on saturday he's still settling in, he'll probably sort out a proper toilet area for himself soon enough but right now he's just trying to protect that precious food so don't interfere too much or it could just make things worse!
__________________
Slave to Zak.
Always loved, never forgotten, forever in my heart
T'ycor, Ziggy, Zephyr, Flynt, Mickle, Little Whisp, Zen, Zeki, Tinwë, Zylvan, Míriel, Calyanwë, Gusto & Meri ❤️
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