Potty Training a hamster

[Percy's Mom]

Is it possible to potty train a hamster? I was watching Wynnie last night as she was running all over the place playing, and a couple of times, she sprinted across the cage, sat still for a few seconds, and then took off again. Sure enough when I checked on her this morning, there were a few hammie beans and some slightly damp bedding. I scooped out the damp bedding and poops that I could find, put in a new handfull of bedding, changed out the water, topped off her food, and went on my merry way. She obviously seems to have picked a favorite spot to use the bathroom. Would it be worth my time to get a little litter box, or would that be likely to put her off going in one place?

[ilovemykisses]

Yes, it's possible to potty train them. They actually do a good job of training themselves. I like that about hamsters. If you do get a littler box, just put it in her spot and add some "soiled" bedding in it to let her know that's the potty area. They pretty much pick up on it quickly.

She sounds adorable.

[annaamber200510]

goodluck!

[Percy's Mom]

I think this is the first time she's ever had a little hidey house, so people can't see her all the time. I'm giving her some time to settle in before pictures, but by early next week, you get to meet her.

[ilovemykisses]

I can't wait to meet her! She sounds lovely. Good luck, Percy's mom.

[Ly&Pigs]

They make small "toilets" for hammies. Usually hammies will pick one corner of the cage and go there continually. Gracie does.

[aqh88]

Hamsters and gerbils also have a tendency to use sand type substances as toilet areas. I used to buy a bag of fine grain sort of fluffy grey sand from menards for $2 a 50lb bag. The gerbils would clean out all their dirty nesting material and sometimes their entire cage and bury it all in the container full of sand I connected. I sifted out the dirty bedding every other day and dumped it for new sand every other week. My sisters dwarf hamsters also used their tray of sand I gave them for that purpose but she had all wire sided cages so the sand got everywhere. It's always been a guranteed way to litter train them for me but it has to be certain sand. No play sand or blasting sand because it will irritate their eyes. Chinchilla sand is a more expensive option but not the finer chinchilla dust. The dust can cause respiratory problems in an enclosed area.