Taking care of hamsters is relatively easy. However, hamsters require a clean environment to minimize the risk of contracting a disease. As a hamster parent, your responsibility is not limited to cleaning their cage regularly, giving them fresh food and water to drink, and regularly inspecting them and their home for any problems.
One of the things you should be careful of is the hamster faeces; letting their faeces stay in their cage for an extended period of time may result in unwanted bacterial growth, and pose a threat to your pets’ health.
That’s where potty-training hamsters come in. You can buy a container specifically designed for small animals to pee or poo on, ensuring that every other part of their cage is always clean.
This type of container is called a litter box, or, it can also be called a sandbox. But, with all the brands out there, how do you know which is the best hamster litter box? We’ll talk about that in a bit, so definitely read on.
TIP: Best hamster sand bath for your hamster
WHAT TO LOOK FOR THE BEST HAMSTER LITTER BOX
To determine the best hamster sandbox to buy, there are several factors to consider, such as the cost, materials, whether it comes with a scoop or not, or if it has a top cover. So, these are the considerations that we’ll use as the qualifiers for a brand to be the best hamster litter box.
Material
If you want to use a sandbox made of wood, look for one with a top covering or layering. This protection will stop the moisture/pee from being absorbed by the wood.
Plastic, ceramics, and glass won’t absorb animal pee. Plus, litter boxes made from these materials are easy to clean, so you won’t have a hard time maintaining your hamster’s cage.
Top Cover
Like a cave, the best hamster sandbox should have its top and sides covered. The reason is that hamsters are very active creatures during their waking hours, which means that they might play around in the litter box.
Hamsters are also hygienic animals, so if they pee or poo in the litter box, they might try to ‘cover up’ their deeds by kicking dust onto them instinctively.
These activities will cause sand to fly across the cage and even outside. This will spread dirt to other parts of the cage, which might not be best for your pets’ health. You will also often have to clean not just the enclosure itself, but its surroundings.
Another reason for having an enclosed hamster sandbox is to avoid wasting each time your hamster kicks the clean sand away.
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With a Scoop
Using a scoop will make your life easier to spot-clean the litter box without replenishing the entire sandbox and wasting a perfectly clean sand bath.
Size
Unless you own a Syrian hamster, you don’t need a massive sandbox. When you’re buying online, be sure that the litter box you will get is specifically designed for hamsters and small rodents because some listings don’t include the size of the litter box.
Cost
The cost is one of the most important factors when deciding which sandbox to purchase. You don’t want to spend extra bucks outside of your budget. A hamster litter box doesn’t have to be expensive; it can even be something you already have lying around your house or kitchen.
WHAT ARE THE BEST HAMSTER LITTER BOX
Now that we’ve tackled the things that you should consider when buying a sandbox for your hamster, it’s time to move on to the next step: checking what’s on the market. If it’s your first time having a pet hamster, perhaps our free checklist of hamster needs will be helpful.
To help you decide, we’ve carefully selected the following litterboxes that fit the considerations mentioned in this article’s first section. Read on so you can decide for yourself which one is the best hamster sandbox:
DIY Hamster Sand Bath and Litter Box
While most of the recommendations on this post are ready-to-use sandboxes, we still recommend you try to make one yourself. It’s a lot of fun, and you can make it as big as possible.
For instance, you can get this plastic or wooden box and remove the divider if there’s any to maximise the space. Hamsters, especially dwarves, love to roll on the sand to clean their fur. A spacious hamster litter box will definitely be appreciated.
Make sure to choose boxes that have low walls so your hamster can quickly get in and out, but the sand won’t go everywhere in the cage.
For example, the hamster maze box has the dividers removable, this would be a great hamster sandbox. But keep in mind, wooden material is most likely to absorb the pee of your hamster, making it really smelly and hard to clean, not to mention bacteria built up. Try to look for a glass, metal, or plastic version (though they can chew through plastic).
Plastic Hamster Sandbox
This particular hamster sandbox is made from plastic, making it easy to clean. This hamster sandbox also comes with a scoop and is equipped with a top cover which is ideal for the hygiene of your pets, and at 5.5″ x 3.9″ x 3.8″ (14.2cm x 10.1cm x 9.7cm). This one is particularly too small for the Syrian hamsters and only recommend them for Dwarf and Chinese.
Kaytee Ceramic Small Animal Baths
Kaytee Small Animal Baths is a covered ceramic type small animal litter. Because it is made of ceramic, it is chew-proof, you’re sure that it won’t easily tear down!
It comes in 2 sizes and I recommend you get the bigger one regardless of what type of hamster you have. Aside from its measurement and durability, it has a cute design that compliments the cuteness of your furry little friends, which adds to the aesthetics of their cage.
Niteangel Sandbox
Depending on the shape/design that you want, they all have a roof/semi-roof. The triangle is the one I use for my hamster, however, you should consider the round or rectangle one. I’m not sure if a Syrian can fit through a hole on the triangle one.
Trixie Sandbox
I love this new Trixie sandbox. My only concern is the inconvenience of getting out of the box. If the sand is fresh, it’s kind of like sinking sand. It doesn’t harden until it got wet/peed on. I recommend you add a little platform inside so your hamster can get out of the litter box. It can also be used as a burrowing box.
Plastic Toilet Corner
This is s nice simple sandbox for hamsters. This hamster sandbox is well-designed, it has covered, and the shape can fit very well in almost any hamster cage, which can save some space. Although it’s too small for a Syrian hamster, only use it for smaller hamsters.
Kaytee CritterTrail Hideout/Outhouse
We don’t recommend critter trails because they are super tiny as a cage for hamsters. However, if you already have one and looking into repurposing some of the toys, you can use the hideout as a sandbox. It is separated by a small tunnel, spreading of dust and dirt from the outhouse is minimised.
Lixit Chinchilla Dry Bath
The Lixit Chinchilla Dry bath is made from durable plastic which can withstand little rodents’ chewing habits. Made for chinchillas, but can also be used by other small rodents, such as gerbils and hamsters. It also has covered parts, dust bath particles scattering can be avoided. It is only 14 x 9 x 6 inches (35.5 x 22.86 x 15.4 cm) which can easily fit IN regular hamster cages.
Because of its size, it’s great both for Dwarf and Syrian hamsters.
Habitrail Ovo Den
The Habitrail Ovo Den is an enclosed design that is excellent for keeping your hamster cage clean and a pretty straightforward option for a hamster sandbox. It is well-covered and has such a cute design. It is made of plastic with holes around it for good airflow if your hamster decides to sleep in here.
VERDICT ON BEST HAMSTER LITTER BOX
My hamster usually kicks all the sand out of the sandbox; after using Niteangel Sandbox, it’s definitely the best we have used. It has a closed roof. It’s spacious and easy to clean.
HOW TO CLEAN A HAMSTER LITTER BOX
Now that we’ve given you samples of what the best hamster sandbox should be, this blog won’t be complete without talking about how to maintain your hamster sandbox best. Read on and learn about the two ways to clean your hamster potty:
Spot Cleaning
Spot cleaning is the process of scooping the wet or dirty part of the sand or litter in the litter box. We recommend getting rid of the wet/moist parts, food particles, as well as hamster poo at least once every other day. This is to ensure that your litter box is free from infection-causing bacterial growth which can make your pets sick.
Deep Cleaning
Though spot cleaning is essential, it still isn’t enough, and the litter box will still get dirty over time. This is why deep-cleaning is vital, as it thoroughly removes dirt and bacterial and fungal growth from the box.
To perform a deep cleaning, empty the litter box and wash it using unscented detergent or soap. Do not use scented soap because hamsters have a very sensitive sense of smell, and the strong scents may irritate their respiratory system.
Refill the hamster litter box with fresh and new sand without overfilling to avoid waste. Make sure also to do routine deep cleaning of the entire cage not more often than once every six weeks.
And that’s everything you need to know about choosing a great litter box for your little critters and how to maintain them properly. I know that that’s a lot to take in, but you can always refer to this blog as a guide when buying or maintaining a hamster sandbox.
I really hope that you found this article to be helpful. If you have something you’d like to add for your fellow readers, or if you have questions, suggestions, or you would want to say hi, let us know through the comment section below.
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