There is a stereotype that hamsters in an apartment are bound to become sources of a very unpleasant smell. However, in reality, this is not entirely true. A really small and cute animal can create a specific scent, but this is by no means due to its uncleanliness. Getting rid of hamster odor is easy.
Why hamsters smell
The most common source of the unpleasant odor is the hamster's cage. Many owners believe that the animals feel comfortable in scraps of newspaper, sawdust or dry grass. On the one hand, this is true, but on the other hand, it is these fillers that are distinguished by the fact that they well absorb not only moisture, but also odors. They should be changed as often as possible. Otherwise, the smell that appears will remain in your apartment for a long time. Moreover, the hamster itself will also become a source of aroma, which is very difficult to call pleasant.
The animal's cage must always be clean. It should not accumulate food debris or hamster excrement. Naturally, all this in itself is a source of an unpleasant odor. If you are monitoring your pet's home and the air is still stale, pay attention to your pet's lifestyle and diet.
Experts note that if a hamster is often disturbed and exposed to stressful situations, then his body begins to produce a specific smell. Irritants can be your family members, yourself, other pets, or a cage that your hamster doesn't like for some reason. You can tell the presence of stress by looking at your pet's behavior. If the animal is scared, worried or angry, then all this is accompanied by characteristic behavior. Hamsters are usually calm and friendly.
How to get rid of the smell
If you have not been able to identify the source of irritation of the hamster, and you carefully monitor its hygiene, then the animal's health may be the cause of the smell. Most often, a specific smell appears when the digestion process is disturbed. In this case, only a veterinarian can determine the exact diagnosis and methods of treatment. Most often, to normalize digestion, hamsters are prescribed pre-special vitamins and limit the diet to a kind of diet.
Pay attention to your hamster's diet. Leaving food in large quantities overnight is not recommended. After a meal, it is better to remove almost all food debris from the cage immediately. The hamster's food should contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and nutrients. A complete and balanced feeding can save you not only from the appearance of an unpleasant odor, but also protect the animal from many diseases.
As a bedding, it is better to use special fillers that are sold in specialized stores. For example, corn "sawdust" absorbs moisture well and at the same time does not allow odors to pass through, so the air remains fresh. Wood fillers have similar properties.
After thoroughly cleaning the cage, eliminating all sources of unpleasant odor, and giving proper attention to the hamster, ventilate the area well and use a regular air freshener. Remember the rules for keeping these animals and never forget that any pet needs care from its owner.
