Spot Cleaning

Most people think that cleaning a hamster’s cage takes 20 minutes and that you have to do a deep-clean. But actually? You only need to take 5 minutes whenever you think your hamster’s cage needs cleaning and replace bedding that is slightly yellow. This is called spot cleaning. It reduces the amount of stress that would be used during a deep-clean, and it also takes up less time and effort. Many would argue that this would not thoroughly clean a cage and it would still be dirty, but as long as you’re not shy about the dirty bedding you’re picking up, and you’re replacing it with the same amount of  clean bedding, spot cleaning is the best way to clean your hamster’s cage! Here at The Happy Hammy, we don’t recommend hamster balls because they are unsafe for a few reasons. For one, they have minimal breathing space. Secondly, a hamster can run into things and not know how to control the ball properly. It is a safer option to just have someone watch your hamster in a dry bathtub with a towel and a few toys. If you’re interested in an article about that, see our post called Hamster Mazes & Other Enrichment.

Spot cleaning can be done every day, but you are only removing soiled or yellow bedding. If you want, you could pick up poop too if it’s crowding the cage, but hamster poop doesn’t smell. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, feel free to remove it! It is extremely important to never touch your hamster’s nest. If you’re spot cleaning, make sure to move around it. Studies show that if a hamster’s nest is disturbed, they become very stressed, so you should respect your hamster’s personal space.