Hamsters

Weekly Tasks Confine your hamster to a second holding cage, its play pen, or exercise ball—somewhere it will be safe while you clean out its cage. R emove all the toys, bowls, and other objects in the cage. Remove all bedding and put some of it to one side. Throw the rest away. Brush the cage out thoroughly with a stiff cleaning brush, and then give the floor of the cage a light spray with an animal-friendly disinfectant. Do not use any household cleaning products as these may be toxic to your pet. Put in the new bedding and the bit of old bedding that you kept to one side. This means your hamster will feel safer when you return him to his home as he will have a familiar scent that he will recognize. • Clean and fill the water bottle. • Give your hamster an all-over health check—see Health section.

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Hamsters