Your Hamster Bedding Smells? – All The Solutions

So, why does hamster’s bedding smells bad in the first place? There can be a lot of reasons for this, including low-quality bedding, an uncleaned cage, or the hamster himself. An improper cleaning routine of your hamster’s cage can affect your hamster’s bedding smell considerably.

Here we will look at the factors that can affect your hamster’s bedding and the best ways to eliminate the bad bedding smell!

What To Look For In Hamster’s Bedding?

First things first. You should be very careful while choosing the hamster’s bedding to keep the place odor-free.

Hamster’s bedding doesn’t include pillows or cozy blankets. Bedding refers to the material you put in the hamster’s cage to make him comfortable. It provides the hamster’s something to borrow while absorbing the liquid waste to control the smell in the cage.

Therefore, choosing good bedding is important for your hamster’s comfort. Here are some things that you should consider while choosing your hamster’s bedding:

Made of Natural Materials

To ensure your hamster’s safety, you should always choose bedding that is made of natural materials only. For example, recycled paper or wood shavings are the best bedding options for hamsters. These beddings are soft, comfortable, retain less odor, and are completely safe for your little hamster.

Good For Absorbing Liquids and Odor

If you don’t want your hamster’s bedding to smell, then bedding good for absorbing liquids and odor is the best. It will absorb any liquid that will fall on it and keep your hamster’s living space fresh. In contrast, if a hamster’s bedding isn’t capable of absorbing urine or other liquids, then it will start to smell very soon.

Economical

You have to change the bedding frequently, as it’s not a lifetime investment. Therefore, finding affordable bedding is good. Bedding isn’t a necessity for your hamster. In the wild, hamsters survive without bedding. So, if you have economical options, there is no need to pay extra for hamsters’ bedding.

Free From Dust Particles and Toxins

Hamster’s little respiratory system can be disturbed easily if the bedding contains many toxins and dust particles. Some beddings, such as pine shavings, contain a high number of toxins that can be dangerous for your hamster.

6 Ways To Make Your Hamster’s Bedding Smell Good

Once you’ve selected suitable bedding for your hamster, the next step is maintenance. You need ways to keep its smell good for a long time. 

Here are six ways that can help you make your hamster’s bedding smell good:

Provide Good Ventilation

Good ventilation will dry out the liquids quickly without giving them the time to stay and produce the smell. To provide good ventilation, keep your hamster’s cage at a place where the bedding can get enough airflow. You can keep the windows open or use a fan near your hamster’s cage.

Place a Litter Box in Your Hamster’s Cage

Give training to your little hamsters for using a litter box. It’s easy to get rid of the smell when he doesn’t litter anywhere on the bedding or in the cage. After some time, you can empty the litter box to remove the smelly part from your hamster’s cage.

Hamster’s training may take time, and not all hamsters can learn to use a litter box. However, you have to be consistent to help him identify littering anywhere as bad behavior.

Put Baking Soda Under Your Hamster’s Bedding

Baking soda is a popular substance for absorbing odors. Therefore, adding a layer of baking soda under your hamster’s bedding is an excellent way to remove the bad smell from your hamster’s bedding.

Note: Baking soda is poisonous to hamsters when added in large amounts. Therefore, use it carefully and never add more than the recommended safe levels.

Clean and Deodorize Your Hamster’s Cage Thoroughly

Sometimes the smell in your hamster’s bedding is due to a dirty hamster’s cage. By cleaning and deodorizing your hamster’s cage, you can make the bedding smell better. Use a mild cleaner and then deodorize with a good smelling product to clean the cage.

You can also use all-in-one products for cleaning as well as deodorizing your hamster’s cage.

Try Some Supplements

Many pet stores sell supplements that help to remove the smells your hamster produces. When the smell produced by the hamster is gone, the overall bedding smell becomes better. These supplements mostly contain amino acids and are completely safe for your hamsters.

Nothing Works? Use Fresh Bedding!

If nothing helps to improve your hamster’s bedding smell, then it’s time to change it. The old bedding already has absorbed enough urine and other smelly liquids and doesn’t have the capacity for more. Therefore, replace it with fresh bedding to create a good smelling and comfortable living space for your hamster.

How Often Should You Change Hamster’s Bedding?

You’ll see your hamster playing around its bedding most of the time. So, no wonder if it can get smelly after a certain time. A routine change of bedding once a week can help you avoid hamsters’ bedding smell. But, make sure that you regularly clean the bathroom area in your hamster’s cage during the week.

Can Hamster’s Bedding Smell Bad Due To Him?

If you own a hamster, you might feel this question doesn’t make sense. As hamsters are very clean animals and love grooming themselves, how can they be a reason for bad bedding smell?

Well, in some cases, your hamster might be the reason for the bad smell of his bedding. The common situations that make hamster’s smell unpleasant include:

• An uncleaned hamster’s cage with a lot of litter.
• Hamster’s illnesses, including diarrhea, wet tail, dental issues, intestinal problems, and infections.
• Mating also triggers the scent glands to produce smells. 

FAQs

Here are some questions that might help you:

Smell In Hamster’s Bedding Explained

Your hamster’s bedding is equally important as your hamster’s health. You can’t expect a good health status for your hamster if his bedding smells bad. So, get help from the ways mentioned in this post to create smell-free and safe bedding for your hamster!