Hamsters are adorable pets but they need some amount of training to learn the rules. So when it comes to cleaning their waste every day from their cage it becomes a hazard. Also, it is necessary to train them to defecate in the litter box as they can roam in the house and create a mess all around.
Is it possible to train the hamsters to use the litter box?
This seems quite impossible to many hamster lovers that their pet hamsters can actually be trained to use the litter box. As per the common belief, most rodent lovers think that rodents are such small creatures that they could not be trained for anything.
But this is not a true fact. With a great level of patience and a positive attitude, you can train your hamster to use the litter box.
How can you train the pet hamster for a litter box?
You can gather all the feces along with the bedding that is soiled and leave those in the litter box. The soiled bedding along with feces will be placed in the right corner where you would keep the litter box. This will help the pet understand that it needs to use that box for pooping or urinating.
It is necessary for the hamsters to use a litter box as that will keep the cage clean and free from urine or poop. It will also keep the cage free from any bacteria or fungal attack.
Why do you need to train your hamster to use the litter box?
Keeping the hamster’s cage clean is the prior and most important aspect of training the hamster to use the litter box. But it is not all. If the hamster starts using the litter box, it will lessen your work. You do not have to worry about frequent spot cleaning or even the bedding would not be required to change often.
A cleaner cage means less smell and that will be confirmed when you will keep the pet trained for using the litter box. If you can arrange for a few basic things then your pet would get acquainted with this habit and it will help you in the long run.
Why my hamster is not getting trained with a litter box?
Sometimes the place of the litter box is not liked by the hamsters. If you have kept the litter box in one corner and are trying to train the pet hamster to use that for several days then you may need to change the place of the litter box.
You can keep the litter box in some less noisy corner of the house to see if the pet hamster starts using it.
What kind of litter would be ideal for the hamsters for their litter box?
When you have arranged for a right-sized litter box for your pet hamster you would need the right kind of litter to fill it in. usually you will get a commercial package of litter available in pet stores that are sold in bags. Wood shaving, sand, and even dust-free cat litter are good for the litter purpose of the litter box for your hamster.
Do not go for something sharp and scratchy as sometimes the hamsters try to eat the litter. In the case of sand or silica dust, the pet may get scratches on its mouth.
Can you litter train the hamster inside the cage?
Some owners find it easy to train their hamsters to potty train inside the cage. For them, the litter box needs to be placed in a particular corner of the cage. Remember to keep the litter box in the same spot after cleaning the cage every time. The hamsters tend to find the thing in their actual position and they do not understand or recognize things when they are not found in their exact position, like food bowl, water dish, or litter box.
Now you have to follow the below steps to make the hamster trained in using the litter box.
First, you have to fill the litter box with the right kind of litter. Decide beforehand which kind of litter would be suitable for it, as you should not change the litter type very often, that would confuse the hamster as they recognize the smell, and their habits grow when they are at ease with the objects like litter box and litter.
Now you have to collect the soiled bedding material that was spread on the floor of the cage. Before getting used to the litter training, hamsters tend to poop on their cage bedding. That soiled bedding material and some amount of dropping should be spread or kept on the litter box over the litter.
If your hamster has the habit of pooping at any particular time of day then you have to wait for that time. Or else after it wakes up from a nap you have to lift it and place it in the litter box. The smell of the litter box will help it to understand that it needs to poop in this particular area now.
Should I force my hamster to get trained with a litter box?
Forcing the pet for any reason is never advised. They can get tensed and anxious and that can affect their health negatively. In case you force the hamster to stay longer in the litter box or wait for it to poop at the same time, you may get bitten on the finger.
After they figure out what is the use of the litter box, they will go there for obvious purposes at right time.
What should you do when the hamster would not use the litter box?
Sometimes the hamsters do not like the idea of the litter box. This small pet can be quite individualistic in nature and they can like or dislike some training that you want to give them. So if your pet does not like to litter on the litter box then it can keep its toys there, or use the box for other purposes.
Sometimes even the hamster is seen taking its food in the litter box or sleeping on there. Then you can think of shifting the place of the litter box. Or else it can be so that the cage is not wide and spacious enough for the hamster. Thus it finds the extra space in the litter box to be used for sleeping or eating. You can think of getting a bigger cage for the pet so it gets some more space for living, and then it may start using the litter box for the right reasons.
Sometimes the hamsters do not poop but just urinate in their litter box. This is a common scenario and there is nothing much you can do about it. You just have to pick the pellets from anywhere you find them and flush them.
There is another problem seen among the hamsters and that is, they poop in their cage, and that too in different places every day. You can just keep some poop accumulated in the litter box so it gets the hint that you want it to poop right there. This way it will not soil the entire cage and poop in the litter box.
More:
10 Best Hamster Cage Accessories