When you own a hamster as your pet, you might have specific concerns about his food and water intake. One common question that most hamster owners have is with respect to the water intake of the little creatures. Let us find out about it in detail!
Hamsters require a regular source of water to be healthy and sound. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you are providing your pet ample source of water on a regular basis to ensure that your pet is not dehydrated or sick. Whether you feed it through a water bottle or a bowl, the ultimate objective is to keep your little one healthy throughout.
What Can I Use If I Don’t Have a Hamster Water Bottle?
For a hamster, it is the most convenient way to drink water through a dedicated water bottle. Young hamsters might be unaware of using a bottle properly. The bottle can be strapped to the pet’s cage and deliver an endless freshwater stream for ample hydration. You can start training your hammy right from the beginning to drink water from the bottle.
However, there might be a case that your hammy simply does not learn to drink water from the bottle, or you do not have access to a proper water bottle. What should you do?
If you cannot deliver the desired water requirement to your hamster through a bottle, you can preferably opt for a water bowl instead. A water bowl can do just fine without a bottle for your little creature.
For the best outcomes, you can consider placing the water bowl on some elevated level or platform. This will prevent your hammy from throwing bedding into the bowl as he goes about running and roaming in the cage. Moreover, it is also important to make sure that you are changing water from time to time. This is because, in the case of a water bowl in the cage, there is an increased chance of feces, dirty bedding, or urine making its way inside water.
The increased possibility of water contamination through such elements is a major concern.
Can Hamsters Drink from a Bowl?
Hamsters can easily drink out of a water bowl. Therefore, if you are having issues with your pet drinking from a water bottle, you can use a bowl.
There are several reasons why you might consider giving your hammy water from a bowl rather than a bottle. Here are some:
- You do not have access to the standard hamster water bottle
- You have a malfunctioning water bottle
- Your pet might have refused to drink from the bottle due to unknown reasons
- The bottle’s nozzle might be too large for the pet, or the hamster does not prefer using it
- Your pet is making ample noise while drinking from the bottle. The noise could be a major problem in case your hamster is close to your bedroom or wakes you up during the night
Why Should You Use a Water Bowl for Your Hamster?
While a cage-mouthed water bottle is a favorable method of giving water to your pet, still giving them water through a bowl also comes with additional benefits.
Firstly, the water bottles are not as durable as you want them to be. The water-dispensing nozzle of the bottles is known to break quite easily. Moreover, hamsters are capable of creating holes in plastic water bottles by chewing on them. While you might avoid the problem of chewing by using a metal or glass bottle, still these tend to be expensive in comparison to the plastic variants.
It is also difficult to clean water bottles in comparison to water bowls. While bottles might require far less cleaning than a bowl, they are still immensely difficult to clean. This is because some dirt that gets accumulated towards the interiors of the bottle will require physical scrubbing. Moreover, the smaller opening of the bottles makes it impossible to remove the overall dirt with a rag or sponge.
In some cases, it is also observed that hamsters do not prefer drinking from water bottles. As such, you require ample effort to train them to drink water on a regular basis.
How can I Make My Hamster Drink Water?
If you wish to make your pet drink water from a bowl, here are some steps you can consider:
- Make sure that the water bowl is on the shallow end. While it is not possible for your hamster to drown in the bowl, still make sure that it is not too steep or deep.
- At the same time, you should also ensure that the bowl is not very shallow. This is because your pet requires ample water supply to keep himself hydrated.
- Search for a water bowl that is sufficiently heavy to support your hamster climbing on the same without tripping over it. Rock bowls can be the perfect option for your pet.
- Place the water bowl on some raised level or platform. The platform can come with steps or a ramp that leads to the bowl. It will help in reducing the contamination of water due to falling objects or dirt.
- Ensure that you are changing water on a regular basis. It is important especially when you have more than a single hammy delivering higher foot traffic to cause water contamination.
- Make it a point to clean the water bowl on a daily basis. As you change the water every day, it will still not do away with bacteria-ridden objects and dirt.
Conclusion
Make sure that your cute, little pet remains hydrated and healthy throughout. Try feeding water with a bowl instead of a bottle. Have great fun!
