Hamsters may have many weaknesses, but staying clean isn’t one of them! These cute little critters are fastidious about cleanliness and clean their fur several times daily. That’s why it’s surprising and even worrying if you notice your hamster smelling bad.
Your hamster stinks, likely because of poor cage hygiene. Hamsters sleep in their bedding, and without proper cage cleaning, they’ll spend most of their time in dirty, soiled bedding. Maintain a regular cleaning schedule to ensure your hamster and its cage always smell good.
Read on to find out more possible causes of that off-putting smell you notice on your hamster. You’ll also learn how to safely get rid of any unpleasant odor from your pet.
Reasons Your Hamster Stinks
Hamsters are naturally clean animals that hate to be dirty. They spend a significant part of their day cleaning and generally grooming themselves.
Little wonder AVMA’s 2012 statistics show that hamsters are the fourth most popular exotic pets in the United States, with 877 out of every 1,000 households owning one of these cute animals.
Like any other animal, these short-tailed rodents have their natural smell, but they usually don’t have an offensive odor.
That said, hamsters can start to smell bad in certain situations.
Here are some of the reasons for that disagreeable smell you notice on your furry friend.
Your Hamster’s Cage Is Dirty
Indeed, your cute hamster will naturally groom itself for as long as it can every day. But the pet can’t clean its cage.
It’s normal for your pet to smell like its environment. If your hamster’s enclosure is dirty, it won’t take long for your hamster to stink.
Cleaning a hamster’s cage (or any pet’s cage, for that matter) may not be the most thrilling task. Yet, ignoring regular cleaning can make your pet stink to high heaven! That’s apart from the increased risk of health problems resulting from living in a dirty environment.
Part of being a responsible pet owner is taking the cleanliness of your animal’s enclosure very seriously.
Read How Long Does a Hamster Live
The Food Your Hamster Eats Might Be Inappropriate
Hamsters need to eat a balanced diet to stay healthy and smell nice. Unfortunately, not everything your hamster loves to eat is good for its health.
Some foods can cause your pet to stink once the animal consumes and processes them.
Your best bet to keeping your pet happy and healthy is to avoid foods high in acids and offer more high-quality commercial pellets in addition to fresh herbs and seeds.
Offer a few treats a couple of times a week to keep things fun for your pet. But don’t overdo it because it can lead to health problems.
Your Hamster Has a Health Condition
Sick hamsters may start to stink. Bad smell from illness is usually common if the animal has diarrhea (or wet tail), which leads to stinky water