How to Clean a Hamster

Hamsters are fastidious animals that prefer to separate the area in which they defecate from where they eat and sleep. However, there are times when hamsters need help to clean themselves. That's where you come in.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Introduce the hamster to bath sand, which you can find at your local pet supply store. A wild hamster would naturally bathe in sand, and special bath sand is available for animals like hamsters and chinchillas.
2. Brush longhaired hamsters, such as the Teddy bear breed, with a soft-bristled brush made especially for hamsters. Most pet stores carry these brushes.
3. Place warm water in a bowl and use a soft cloth to gently rub away any substances on the hamster's fur. Keep the cloth and water away from your pet's face. The room should be warm when you clean the hamster.
4. Use a drop or two of baby shampoo if the substance is greasy or doesn't come out with water. Rinse the spot with clean, warm water and hold the hamster in a towel so the wet fur doesn't make the animal chilly.
5. Dry the hamster with a hairdryer held far from the animal and set only on "warm." Have someone else hold the hairdryer; hamsters don't like to be washed and it often requires two hands to hold one still.

Tips & Warnings

• Baths strip the hamster's fur of natural oils and if a hamster gets too cold or catches a draft, it can die. Bathing is necessary only when a hamster has gotten something on its fur that can be harmful if he tries to lick himself clean.