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The SmartBedz natural straw pellet is ideal for your pet as it:
  • extra long lasting
  • has up to 400% absorbency
  • is super odour binding
  • is dust extracted
  • is bio-degradable

Hamster Litter | Bedding for Hamsters

SmartBedz litter is particularly useful when used as hamster litter and as the basis of bedding for hamsters.

Hamster litter needs to be particularly low in dust to ensure that nose and eye irritations do not develop. It also needs to be non clumping for the same reason. Although hamsters are clean animals by nature, they do need to be trained to use a toilet area, and they do spend nearly all their time in their cages. They therefore need a litter which can be safely used in all areas of their cage, as well as the designated toilet area.

Bedding for hamsters needs to be soft and dry and made of something which the hamster can pull about itself to make a nest, such as shredded toilet paper. But because hamsters will pull their bedding material around, it is useful to have an underbed which will stay put.

And since most hamster cages occupy human living areas, any litter used needs to be effective at suppressing odour as well as being dust free to avoid creating respiratory problems for humans.

SmartBedz litter, a revolutionary straw pellet type litter, fulfils all these requirements for hamster litter. For smaller animals such as pets, we recommend using our smaller pellet variety (the green and purple bag).

The rest of this article gives more information about how to care for your hamster, and shows how using SmartBedz as your choice of hamster litter and bedding for hamsters helps to create a healthy and happy environment for your hamster.

Hamster Litter click here to buy our universal bedding litter from our online shop

Caring for Hamsters

Hamster cages need to be as large as possible to provide the hamsters with space to carry out natural behaviours such as exploring and playing. They should ideally be equipped with play objects such as wheels, ladders and tubes to crawl through, to help create a stimulating environment. This is especially important since hamsters are nocturnal, usually sleeping during the day and being more active at night, and so cannot rely on their human owners being available to play with them at the required times. Any wheel should have a solid back and solid wheel to prevent the hamster getting its legs caught.

Hamster cages need to be kept out of draughts and direct sunlight to prevent temperature extremes, and the entire cage should be kept dry at all times, including designated toilet area, sleeping and living areas. It is therefore useful to use a hamster litter which is non-toxic and dust free, such as SmartBedz, and which can be used as a layer throughout the cage.

A water bottle and food dish are obviously required, since the hamster spends most of its time inside the cage and will want to drink and feed at night when owners are not around. The water bottle must be kept topped up and should be set at the right height for the hamster. Hamsters, like rabbits, are liable to nibble on anything and everything within the cage, including whatever litter is used. So it’s important that your hamster litter will not cause any digestive problems if it is ingested. SmartBedz is a natural straw product with a high fibre content which as well as causing no harm, can actually be beneficial to digestion in plant eating animals.

The ideal hamster cage will include a little sleeping house, which a hamster can retire to when it wishes to sleep. This should be fairly small and away from direct light, since hamsters are burrowing creatures who feel safe in a dark enclosed space. It should also be placed away from the toilet area. The sleeping area should be specially prepared with bedding for hamsters. A layer of SmartBedz makes an ideal underbed, in top of which can be placed any soft nesting material such as shredded fabric or tissue paper.

When it comes to cleaning out your hamster’s cage, their nocturnal habits do present a problem in terms of trying not to unduly disturb the hamster during the day when it is asleep.

Using SmartBedz as your hamster litter and in the sleeping area reduces this problem since the extra absorbency and odour reduction means fewer cleanings are required overall, which saves you time and means less disruption for your hamster. Only the heavily soiled or wet areas need to be removed, and then replenished with fresh SmartBedz. Some of the old litter therefore stays in the cage, which helps to main the hamsters own scent within the cage, making it feel at home. When cleaning is necessary, it is probably best to clean out the toilet area (which should be away from the sleeping area) during the day when the hamster is asleep. The sleeping area can then be cleaned out later in the evening when the hamster has woken up.

Very young hamsters can be gradually litter trained to use the intended toilet area. Getting them trained will result in a cleaner, dryer cage for them, and less cleaning out for you. Luckily, hamsters are clean and meticulous by nature, so training them is relatively easy.

The first step is to define the toilet area you want your hamster to use. By instinct, a hamster will prefer to relieve itself as far away as possible from its sleeping area, so pick a place in the cage which is a good distance from where it sleeps - preferably on a different level if you have a multi-level cage. Alternatively, pick an area which you have already noticed your hamster using as a toilet area, so long as it is not too close to the sleeping area.

Next, mark out the toilet area with a suitable litter tray and fill it with hamster litter. The litter tray will usually be made of plastic and should be relatively small with a low rim which your hamster can easily get in and out of. If you have more than one hamster, make sure it is big enough for two hamsters to use at the same time, since the social species often like to visit the toilet together.

Put some existing hamster faeces in the litter tray. This signals to your hamster that this is now the place to relieve itself. Continue placing new faeces in the litter tray every day until your hamster gets the message. If necessary, remove the older faeces as you go along so that the litter tray does not get too dirty. Expect it to take a week or so for your hamster to learn the new arrangement. (Moving and placing the faeces needs to be done carefully to avoid getting parasites and bacteria onto your hands. You can either use tweezers which are then thoroughly washed in hot water, or some type of arrangement using cardboard or other disposable material which is then thrown away after use. Your hands should be thoroughly washed after this procedure, regardless of tools used.)

Once your hamster is happily and regularly using the litter tray, it then needs to be kept fresh and clean to maintain hygiene. Using SmartBedz allows for just the heavy soiled areas to be selectively removed, leaving some of the clean litter behind. This helps a hamster transition from the toilet training stage since some hamster odour will remain to remind him that this is the toilet area, while still keeping the area clean.

Summary of Benefits of using SmartBedz for Hamster Litter

Directions for use
Place a 1-3cm layer of SmartBedz pellets in the cage - thicker layers in and around toilet areas, thinner layers in general living areas.
Remove soiled pellets and replenish as required. 
Empty and clean out when necessary. 
Hamsters will enjoy a small area of soft nesting material on top of SmartBedz.

Disposal
SmartBedz is fully biodegradable and breaks down rapidly when wet, making disposal extremely easy. It can be used as a garden fertiliser or added to compost, or it can even be flushed away in small quantities.

Bedding For Hamsters click here to buy our universal bedding litter from our online shop