Why does he toilet everywhere? Any suggestions?

[TheOtherStu]

Hi all,

I've tried a number of different approaches, but ultimately, my Syrian hamster just goes everywhere and anywhere. Not just poo (because that would be easier to manage) but wee. And his cage absolutely stinks. Quite honestly, we're having to do 100% change every couple of weeks - we can't spot clean, because that would involve replacing 50% of his bedding.

I've tried a number of different things - changing to tea bag bedding (made it worse) and introducing a fairly decent size sand bath.

He loves his sand bath, but won't do anything in it.

Anyone had much joy with getting their hamster to use one particular area?
Should I try some pet litter? Would he be more likely to use it?

i'm building him a large cage at the moment, so I can dedicated space to it if needed.

[Ria P]

Pet litter or potty litter isn't suitable.

I once dedicated a whole thread to my late Syrian's peeing habits and concluded that a hamster pees where he wants to pee. BUT he did pee in the corner toilet in the end, once i got his set up the way he wanted it and placed the potty where it suited him.

I'd wait until you've built his new habitat and then give him a couple of weeks to settle in before you address the toileting issue. You could put a couple of corner toilets in like the plastic Trixie ones, fill them with sand or substrate (ideally peed on one) to see if he uses them. The toilets are additionally to his sandbath.

I have currently two Syrian boys. Both have a wooden guinea pig sized house. One is so houseproud that he chucks his poops out of his house door for me to clean up and only ever pees in his sandfilled, ceramic Rodipet corner toilet opposite his house and the other is lazy and will not leave his house during the day so pees in a woodchips filled, small ceramic corner toilet which is opposite his nest inside his house. I have to clean the toilet twice a week and exchange it for a clean one and now and again i have to clean the whole house and exchange it for his clean, identical one while the washed one dries out. He misses the toilet sometimes but at least he tries.

[Dodo]

Hello,

well that's unusual, and certainly a bit annoying...
i've never had this before, but I guess what i would try is to have corner toilets at every corner of the cage, and place some soiled bedding / fesces in them, with sand.

[Charlie Dunn]

They are all different and essentially pee where they want! Our ham rabbit is just too busy and so just seems to wee where she is at the time whereas our other ham hamper wees in one place. We (or should that be wee!) manage! X

[TheOtherStu]

Thanks all for the advice. I'll try a corner toilet, definitely sounds like a great idea.
I was under the impression when I first got him a few months back that he'd always use the same spot and I'd be able to spot clean.

Btw Ria, when I say pet litter, I don't mean cat stuff, I was talking about specific hamster stuff


When you say substrate, just the same stuff you fill the bottom of the cage with? Or do you have a more natural base?

I guess this leads onto "What to put in the bottom of a cage?". I notice some people use bark chips, but I'm worried that stuff is treated and I know certain woods aren't brilliant to use.

[LunaTheHamster1]

Hi, that looks like it is made from pine and spruce so I would avoid. Sadly, just because something says 'hamster safe' it doesn't mean it is.

[LunaTheHamster1]

These are some videos I did on safe and unsafe bedding.

Hamster Safe Bedding 2021 #shorts #hamsterbedding - YouTube

Unsafe Hamster Bedding |Cosmic Hamsters #shorts #hamsterbedding - YouTube

In the description of the unsafe bedding video is the links to research why pine/cedar bedding is considered unsafe.