buying a hamster after anothers death

Question
hi
my 10 year old daughter loved her hamster very much and we had him for 4 years but sadly he died last week and we promised our daughter we would buy her another hamster if she wanted and i was wondering if it would be safe to use the cage that the other hamster had or would that not be a good idea,a friend told us that because he died in the cage then the new hamster would sense it so any advice would be great.
many thanks

Answer
Hi Helen

I'm really sorry to hear about your hamster.  

Using the same cage isn't a problem providing that your hamster died from natural causes - i.e. old age, which at 4 years I suspect would have been as this is incredibly old for a hamster.  The only time you have to be careful with re-using cages are if the hamster had some sort of viral disease, such as wet tail.

I suggest you get a 'small pet' disinfectant and give the cage a good clean before re-homing another hamster in it.  New hamsters are often a little bit unsettled for a few days when they go to a new home, but I am sure he will settle quickly.  Once he has explored the cage and put his own scent down he will be fine.

I hope you find another great little friend for your daughter.

Regards