How to Clean a Metal Hamster Cage
Hamsters need large cages to fulfill their wandering, tunneling and exploring behaviors. Metal cages may be the only option for owners of hamsters that are able to chew their way out of all-plastic cages. Many commercially made hamster cages are a combination of a plastic base and metal bars. Cages need to be cleaned once a week or whenever they begin to have an odor. Clean, dry cages are also essential to preventing many hamster ailments, such as Aspergillis fungal infection. According to Hammysworld.com, the fungus grows on dirty hamster bedding.
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Things You'll Need
- Small transport cage or carrier for hamster
- Rubber gloves
- Small dustpan or paint scraper
- Drop of bleach or unscented dishwashing liquid
- 1 cup hot water
- Old cloth or towel
- Old newspaper
- Bedding material
- Half cup of vinegar (optional)
Instructions
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Place hamster or hamsters in a small cage or carrier. Even a cat carrier will do, as long as any bars are narrow enough so the hamster cannot slip through. If lacking a carrier, use an empty, dry bathtub, suggests "Training Your Pet Hamster" by Gerry Buscis and Barbara Somerville.
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Dismantle the cage to get to the dirty bedding. Some cages are far more complex than others, but with some metal cages, just unlock and lift the barred top off the solid bottom.
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Put on rubber gloves. Remove all toys, water bottles and feeding dishes from the cage. Now is a good time to let plastic or ceramic toys, water bottles and feeding dishes soak in a sink full of hot water to remove to caked-on food and algae growth in bottles.
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Remove soiled bedding with small dustpan. For really stubborn urine-dried clumps, a metal small paint scraper will do better than a plastic dustpan.
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Make up a cleaning solution of a drop of bleach or mild unscented dishwashing liquid for each cup of hot water. Use an old cloth to wipe off the cage bottom and wires. Note if there are any rust spots developing. If there are, then its time to replace the cage. Let the cage dry.
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Place old newspaper under the dry cage bottom. The newspaper will help catch bedding the hamster tosses from the cage. Next cleaning, just pick up the newspaper to help remove scattered bedding around the cage. Fill the cage with at least 1 inch of clean bedding material. Replace toys, water bottle and reassemble the cage.
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Place the hamster in the cleaned cage.
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Tips & Warnings
Audrey Pavia, noted animal freelance writer, claims that white stains from urine can be removed with a half cup of vinegar added to hot water and bleach and left to soak for 20 minutes.
Clean a cage as soon as a pregnant hamster begins to show. Do not clean the cage again until the babies are two weeks old. According to PetPlace.com, this will help cut down on cannibalism of the babies by the mother.
It's best to clean at night, when hamsters are awake. Sleeping hamsters are prone to bite if awakened suddenly.
Never let a hamster roam about the home while cleaning the cage. It will disappear and is incredibly difficult to find.
Never use cedar shavings as the oil can make some hamsters ill.
