Can Hamsters Get Wet?

Hamsters are such cute and lovely animals that so many people are fond of keeping them at home. So, if you are a responsible hamster owner, it is important that you provide the best care for the hamsters. When it comes to taking care of the hamsters well, one might think that cleaning them with water is a crucial thing to do. So, if we come to the point of whether hamsters can get wet, it is advisable not to get the hamsters wet.

Hamsters cannot tolerate drastic changes in temperature if they get exposed to wet conditions. If they happen to get wet, chances are that they could develop hypothermia. So, in this article, you can find out more about this aspect, the reasons why the hamsters should not get wet, etc. If you are a hamster owner, it is really worthwhile going through this article.  So, let’s take a look.

Why Can’t Hamsters Get Wet?

Hamsters have tiny bodies and simply they cannot tolerate any drastic change in temperature. If they happen to get wet, it will traumatize them and result in thermal shock. Furthermore, they would start to shiver a lot. In fact, Chances are that the shivering would take place for a longer period.  Moreover, their fur would stay cold and result in hypothermia as well. Besides, you don’t need to put the hamsters in water as you don’t really have to bathe them. On another note, they are very good at cleaning themselves and maintaining good hygiene. As such,  it is not necessary to bathe them.

Can I give my hamster a bath?

You can give a bath to a hamster only with the veterinarian’s permission. So, unless the vet doctor recommends, you should refrain from bathing the hamsters using soap and water. That said, you probably have to give them a bath if you have to clean their rear. Unless the stains of urine and fecal material would remain for some time. That would ultimately result in urinary-related issues. So, to sum up, you can bathe the hamsters only if it is absolutely necessary.

Can hamsters take baths in the water?

You can allow the hamsters to take bath in water given that the doctor instructs you to do so. Besides suppose that there are certain substances that are stuck in the hamsters and that you want to remove them, then you could consider bathing the hamsters in water. You need to consider going for this option only if you can’t get rid of them using a sand bath or if you can’t remove them by brushing or trimming the hamster’s fur. Having said that, keep in mind that exposing the hamsters to wet conditions would be dangerous due to temperature shock. So, you could consider bathing the hamsters in water only if it is absolutely necessary.

What happens if you give a hamster a bath?

As aforesaid, hamsters have small bodies and they would not tolerate drastic changes in temperature. Thermal shock and the wet fur would make the hamsters shiver quite severely. Once the fur is exposed to cold it would result in hypothermia within a short period. On another note, water would make the hamsters go through stress. Hamsters are quite sensitive animals and they would get scared and frightened quite easily. Anxiety is something that they inherit. So, exposure to wet conditions would make them more anxious and stressed.

Since they are not used for wet conditions, they would start to panic and tend to develop stress-related illnesses as well. In fact, chances are that they could turn out to be fatal at times. So, it would be a quite scary moment for the hamsters to be exposed to wet conditions and to suffer from stress afterwards. Ultimately it would lead to some dangerous situations.

Hamsters have wooly short fur. That short fur keeps the animals warm and offers great insulation for them. So, if they are wet and if they experience unbalanced temperature it would result in a much worse condition. So, to sum up it would be wise to avoid getting the hamsters wet. It would allow these little creatures to stay happy and grow healthily.

Hamster bathtub

How do you bond a hamster with a bathtub?

Many people tend to use bathtubs to tame the hamsters and to create a good bond with them. However, before you use it you need to make sure that it is dry. Next, you could lay down some of the hamster’s toys and place the hamsters there. Once you place them in the bathtub, they would start to run around. Once they get familiar with it they would start to climb into the bathtub on their own. This would allow the hamsters to get familiar with the bathtub and convince them that they are in a safe place.

How to give a hamster a bath with water

If you ever come across a situation where you may have to bathe the hamsters, you should keep the following tips in mind.

First and foremost, make sure the water you are using is not too warm and that it would not cause hypothermia. That said, it has to be scalding. If you wish to test the water before you use it, you could simply place them on your inner wrist or even on your elbow and check. Ideally, it has to be lukewarm water. Then you can carefully place the hamster in the water. This may be hard at first but with time and a lot of patience you can do this. After putting the hamster in the water you can choose a hamster-friendly shampoo and rinse the hamster with warm water. However, when you do this make sure that you don’t allow the hamster’s eyes to get in contact with the soap.

You should also consider the place of the bath.  It should be ideally warm and doesn’t comprise drafts. The best place is the bathroom. If you are uncertain whether the hamsters would escape, you could consider using an easy-to-clean waterproof container. For example, you could use Tupperware containers. Thereafter fill the water right up to the hamster’s shoulders. That will allow them to stand without having to swim.  After a quick and good bath. You should dry off the hamster using a dry towel. If they are warm and dry, you could place them in their regular enclosure. Once you complete doing all these things you may wash your hands as well as the container.

How do I dry my hamster?

Once you finish washing them, drying them is a very important thing to do. So to do that you need to remove the hamsters from the bowl using a dry warm towel. Gently stroke the hamster with a towel in a much more gentle manner. Don’t rub them too hard. If you see they are comfortable with gentle drying, you could hold on to them for some time. It would make them warm. When they are completely dry you need to allow them to go back to the cage. Make sure that their cage is not closer to windows or to any other drafts. Make sure that the hamsters are entirely dry and only then return them to the cage.

Can you put hamsters in the water?

You can put hamsters in water but with caution. Be mindful of the repercussions. As you know hamsters are small creatures and used to grow in dry atmospheres a lot and they are not big fans of water. But, hamsters can swim. However, If you put them in water, they may catch a cold. Ultimately it would lead to health issues.

Hamsters are commonly found in dry areas such as in steppes and the deserts of Asia and in the Middle East. They don’t find any sources of water in those areas and they have adjusted to living without water. That being said, don’t misunderstand the fact that hamsters don’t like water at all. I mean they try to stay dry and avoid getting wet. If they get wet, it could cause certain changes in their body temperature.

For example, the drastic changes in the temperatures would make their body cold. Consequently, it would make them shiver as well. Hamsters are sensitive creatures and it would make them go through a condition called hypothermia. Since they are not used to wet conditions, they would start to panic. Ultimately they will start to suffer from stress-related illnesses. So, all in all, it is best to avoid putting them in water as it is not a good experience for this.

How do you clean a stinky hamster / stinky cage?

If we look at the causes which may result in stinky hamsters, it could most probably be due to the uncleanliness of the cage. Further, if your hamsters suffer from any illness, it could also cause them to stink. In addition to that, if there are any urine stains or fecal materials remaining on them, they would make the hamsters stink. So, before cleaning the stinky hamsters, it is vital that you clean the hamsters’ cages at least once a week so that they would smell fresh and good.

In addition to that, it is important that you deodorize the cage as well. Before you start cleaning the cage you need to remove the older bedding into a garbage bag. Don’t ever shake it out in an area where you make food as then it would cause unnecessary problems (such as diseases). You could use mild soap and some hot water to do the cleaning. Don’t forget to clean the hamster’s bowls, accessories and the toys too.

Deodorizing is also important. I suggest you use a product that has enzymes to effectively deodorize this. Thereafter you could clean the cage once again with soda or vinegar. All you need to do is simply sprinkle some baking soda and then wipe it with a warm wet sponge. If you want to use the vinegar you could wet the sponge with it and then wipe the cage with it. Once you finish doing all these, it would be best if you could give a good rinse to the cage.

In addition to the above, you should clean all the bedding that hamsters had urinated or defecated on. Change those with fresh bedding afterward. Further, if you could spot any unclean materials on the wheel toys, you should clean those as well. Ensure that you clean all their water bottles and the food bowls too.

To clean the stinky hamsters, you could consider giving them a sand bath as well. As you may already know, hamsters do not prefer to have a traditional bath. Instead, they would opt to go for sand baths. The hamsters in the wild use sand to clean them as it has so many natural benefits. For example, they can roll in the sand, dig into it, and play with sand. Most importantly it would allow them to clean their skin and their coat as well.

Sand baths would help the hamsters get rid of the natural oil and the dirt which may be attached to the hamster’s coat. Consequently, it would allow the hamsters to smell fresh. Hamsters love having sand baths. So, to provide a sand bath for the hamsters you simply have to fill a small dish with appropriate sand. Thereafter you need to place it in the enclosure. Ensure that the dish you are using for this purpose is small and that hamsters can climb into it. That said, it has to be big enough for them to roll and play.

When it finishes bathing, you can remove the sand from the cage. Usually, a typical sand bath would last for about 15-20 minutes. That being said, if your beloved hamsters are enjoying it they would prefer to have some more time. However, don’t let them play with sand for too long as then it would become an eye irritant.

In addition to aforesaid tactics, you could consider grooming to clean a stinking hamster too. Keep in mind that you need to brush hamsters on a regular basis. You need to do this especially if you have a long-haired hamster species. Grooming helps them to smell good as all the dirt material on them disappears.

Moreover, if your hamsters have developed overgrown nails, it would be best to trim those as well. Ensure that you do it periodically. That said if you happen to see them developing abnormally grown nails, you need to pay a visit to the doctor. Keep monitoring the hamsters whether you could spot any skin growths or any other fecal build-ups or urine stains. If you could spot these on the hamsters it is time for a water bath.

Do hamsters like getting wet?

Hamsters in general don’t like water. That said, different hamster breeds are unique to each other and you may rarely spot a few hamster species that like getting wet. However,t here is no proper way of telling whether the hamsters prefer to get wet or not. You simply have to keep observing them much closer and see whether they indicate any sign of distress when they are in the water. Ideally, you need to learn about all their behavior so that you could say whether they like getting wet or not. However, in general, hamsters hate water and get wet. It is noteworthy that they can keep floating and swimming in the water if they fall into the water.

Do hamsters like to play in the water?

Hamsters are generally not fans of water and they don’t show any special interest in playing in the water too. As described above, hamsters are used to grow in dry warmer places where they do not have any access to water. Even if they find any, they would try to avoid it except if they want to drink it. That said, if they happen to land on a warm stream, they would be able to swim for a shorter distance. That said there could be a few hamster breeds that would enjoy playing in the water too. All you need to do is simply observe them for some time.

Hamster shampoo

You could use unscented pet shampoo to clean the hamsters. However there are people who use dry shampoo or baby wipes to clean the hamsters. However most of them contain chemicals which could be harmful for hamsters.  In fact they may probably cause irritations and rashes on the skin. Once the rashes appear it would make the hamsters scratch. Further since they may have long fur it would be difficult for you to detect the irritation at a glance. So once they start to scratch there will be wounds and those wounds get infected with bacteria. Therefore do not use regular shampoo or baby shampoo for your hamster.

Can I wash my hamster with shampoo?

You could wash your hamsters with shampoo. To do that, first you need your doctor’s opinion and then you can start using shampoo on the hamster. First you need to fill a basin with one or two cups of room temperature water. Next you may add one drop of unscented pet shampoo. Thereafter you could wet a washcloth in the basin and then  wring it. Next you may gently rub on the hamster using a cloth. When rubbing ensure that you do it in the same direction of the fur formation. In fact you need to do it in a petting way. At last you could dry them with a dry towel. Now you could place the hamster in its enclosure. Ensure that you place it in a warm dry place.

I suggest you do this, only if it is absolutely necessary. For example if the hamsters have come across any toxic substance I suggest you to go ahead with cleaning the hamsters with hamster shampoo. In rare cases, wrong shampoo might kill your hamster. This is mainly due to an allergic reaction. As such you need to do it with caution and only if it is absolutely necessary to do.

What shampoo can I use on my hamster?

I suggest using unscented pet shampoo to use on your hamsters. If you end up using other shampoos chances are that they would be irritating for the hamsters. It could result in adverse effects if the shampoo gets in contact with the hamster’s eyes or mouth. Some people opt to use a hamster friendly shampoo as it would be the best potion to use for the hamsters. You can find hamster friendly shampoo in your local pet stores.

Hamster waterless shampoo

How many people tend to use waterless shampoo to clean hamsters and it has become a trend now. You could easily purchase these online.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How often do I clean my hamster?

It would be better if you could clean your hamsters once a week. Keep in mind that hamsters’ urine could be really smelly and it is important that you clean them on time. If there are multiple hamsters living in one cage it is very important that you clean them more than once a week.

How often do you bathe a hamster?

It is not necessary to bath the hamsters unless it is absolutely necessary. As above mentioned, they can groom on their own and if you find something toxic only you need to consider bathing them.

Can a bath kill a hamster?

Bath can kill a hamster. In fact it would wash out the natural oil and can cause serious harm which would result in the death of the hamsters on some occasions. Further they might drown in water as well. Exposure to water would result in stress related illnesses such as wet tail. Wet tail is a serious condition which would be fatal for a hamster.

Can you wash a hamster with dawn dish soap?

You cannot  wash your hamsters with dawn dish soap. Don’t use dawn dish soaps as they contain a toxic compound which would be irritating for the hamsters. Alternatively you should use a hamster friendly soap for this purpose.

Can I use Dove soap on my hamster?

No you cannot use Dove soap on your beloved hamsters. Dove is made from toxic compounds such as palm kernel and animal fats. As such it is best to avoid using them on the hamsters. Always make sure that you are using the right soap to clean the hamsters. If you are uncertain of something please do consult your veterinarian and get their opinion.

Can you bathe a hamster in warm water?

You can use warm water to bathe the hamsters.

Do hamsters need regular baths?

No hamsters don’t need regular baths. You will need to consider bathing the hamsters only if it is absolutely required.

Final words

To wind up, hamsters don’t prefer to get wet. However, if you really want to bathe them, make sure that you do it with caution and get the necessary guidance from the doctor. Instead of a water bath, try giving them a sand bath as it would be safer for the hamster. Hope you found this article very informative!