The babys nest

Question
Dear Sheila,

I have some questions about cleaning. To make it easier, I have Syrian hamsters (if it makes a difference). First question is about cleaning the hamsters themselves. I heard about people brushing their hamsters with toothbrushes. Is that okay to do? Second question is about cage cleaning. What should I do about the nest? (My hamster had a liter.) Should I get rid of it or clean around it? Put new food where she had some or leave it to her? The babies don't even go in their nest anymore because they walk around and sleep in a totally opposite corner. Some go over for the food their mum stored, but others crawl up into the food dish.

Thanks for your help! From, Jenna

Answer
Hi Jenna

In answer to your first question - you don't have to clean hamsters.  If they are ill with a medical condition that requires bathing them, then you need to get a special shampoo (from the vet) otherwise they should never be bathed.  Some people do brush their hamsters (the long haired varieties) as their fur can get caught up.  However, I've never found it necessary.  With long haired hamsters their fur can get matted with the woodchip - however if you use a finer variety of wood chip this usually solves this problem.  If the fur really does get matted, then often it is easier to gently cut it, rather than try to brush it out.  I've found that generally hamsters don't particularly like being groomed.  You can give them a dust bath which a lot of hamsters enjoy - to do this you need a shallow dish.  If you buy a packet of 'chinchilla dust' from the pet shop and use this. The hamster will roll around in it.  It does go everywhere in their cage but some hamsters really enjoy this.  You could always create a special play/bath area - if you have a spare cage or box (be careful that they can't climb out or eat their way out.  Fill it will toys and a bath and then they could play in this in the evenings as a  change from always playing in their cage.  I wouldn't advise doing this for the babies - but perhaps wait until they leave the mum the perhaps she could have a 'bath'.

Regarding the nest and babies - I never clean out my 'mums' until the litter is 2 weeks old.  If the cage starts to smell, then you can scoop out any dirty corners and replace with clean wood chip.  At 2 weeks you can handle the babies a lot and mum is often less stressed.  When you reach this stage (you haven't said how old your hamsters are) then you could transfer all of them into a carry cage or similar, and give the cage a clean.  I don't use disinfectant in the cage with babies - this is because they can't smell their own scent on their surroundings which I think is important in the early days.  Instead it is worth just giving the cage a quick rinse, but dry it thoroughly before putting in new wood chip/bedding.  If there is any bedding that is clean then return it to them.   When the babies are around 3 weeks old you will probably need to clean out the cage daily (or at least remove the soiled corner) as, depending on the size of litter, the nest will quickly get smelly and you don't want them to get sick if it isn't cleaned.

At 4 weeks you will need to sex and separate out the boys, and by 6 weeks old they will all need a cage of their own.  As they have left the nest it is a good idea to try and fit as many wheels in the cage as possible for them to play in - don't use the ones with spokes or drainage slits as the babies can get caught in these.  The more wheels, the less chance of fighting.

I hope you get on OK.

Regards