potty sand
Potty sand or a sand bath?
Some people call them Sand Baths but for Syrian Hamsters they don't use them as baths as some people might think. Syrians are excellent groomers and do not have oily skin like dwarf hamsters who might require a sand bath
So why do they need sand, you ask? To play and pee in, of course! It's weird, we know. Give them a fresh bowl of sand and watch them dig and play. After that it's pretty much all about potty time.
Your Cheeky baby will come to you "potty trained," meaning we will have exposed them to sand so they have the urge to urinate in it. This will keep your cage cleaner and your bedding costs down. Just dump and replace when soiled which is about 5 - 7 days.
You're welcome!
Sand Options
Cheap: Play Sand
Pros & Cons: Aquarium Sand
Pros & Cons: Aquarium Sand
Play sand is found at your local hardware store. It's typically $5 for 50lbs--super cheap!
The major downside is that you will need to bake the sand to sanitize it and dry it out. See below!
Pros & Cons: Aquarium Sand
Pros & Cons: Aquarium Sand
Pros & Cons: Aquarium Sand
Aquarium sand is a great middle-of-the-road option. It's about $6 for 10lbs, making it a good compromise between the two. The downside is that it can be a bit grainer/sharper than Reptisand, but is still known to be safe. You also get to skip the baking process--a major bonus!
Luxe: Reptisand
Pros & Cons: Aquarium Sand
Luxe: Reptisand
Reptisand is a hamster-safe reptile sand. The sand is soft, smooth, and ready to use. It's pricier than play sand, but you likely won't need more than a few bags in your hamster's lifetime, so it's a great option for single-ham households!
Preparing Play Sand
Buy Your Sand
Sanitize & Dry Your Sand
The sand is often very moist inside of its bag. Because of this, it is a breeding ground for bacteria, microbes, and mold. So, play sand needs to be baked in order to sanitize it, kill any pests living inside, and dry it out for safe use.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees; the high heat makes quick work of getting through the whole bag!
- Open the bag and start scooping it into the pans you're going to use. As in the photo above, we suggest these pans or similar heavy duty disposable roasting pans. The deep basin allows you to cook lots of sand at once!
- Once your oven is loaded up, let the sand cook for 60-90 minutes. Then, take the sand out and allow it to cool thoroughly.
- Once the sand is completely cool, pour it into a plastic storage tote and store wherever is convenient!
Use The Sand!
It's easy! Fill a container with some sand, and pop it in the cage--your hamster will do the rest.
To start, we recommend using disposable food containers, ceramic pie dishes, or glass baking dishes as litter boxes. This is a great opportunity for a thrift shop hunt!
If your hamster loves to dig, we suggest looking into building a sand feature into your cage--see the gallery below! This can be one side of your cage that is purely sand, or simply a larger, taller dish.
If you go the latter route, we suggest a large dog bowl or, our fave, the Fortiflex Mini Pan.
Clean The Sand
It couldn't be easier--dump, clean the bowl, and refill!