do hamsters stink?

Question

hey i was thinking about buying a syrian hamster, but my parents and siblings hate rodents, so im gonna have to leave it in my room. Do they really stink? If so can u give them occasional baths? One more thing, do hamsters,gerbils,guinea pig,ect. get fleas and ticks and that stuff?

hey if they get ticks what do i do to treat them?

one more thing which should i get hamster,gerbils, or guinea pig. please tell me which one and explain y.

Answer 1

Never Give Hamster a bath!!!!!
hamsters have a special kind of oil on their fur which is naturally there to keep the fur healthy, but if you wash the hamster, the layer of oil will fall off, and due to that the hamster will get sick, and die.
Hamster do stink, but if you change the beddings frequently, they will not have smell at all. also, it's very rare for hamsters to get fleas if you don't let it get in contact with anything that has fleas. i think that might answer your question. Hope You enjoy your new hamster :)

Answer 2

Syrian hamster females do often stink, when they are in the heat (usually every 4 days); but some don't at all, some smell horrible. Hamster's urine do stink -not just the poop-, so it's needed to change bedding often - you can do spot clean (changing soiled bedding in the corners) every 1-3 days and general cleaning every 1-2 weeks. This is what I do and it's fine - nobody ever noticed any smell. Even my visitors are often surprised, how are my rodents non-stinky.

Hamsters cannot have wet baths, since water stripes natural oils from their fur and they catch easily pneumonia with wet fur. However, sand baths in chinchilla sand are fine and help with oily fur, also are kinda fun for some hammies!

Yes, these small critters can have external parasites, especially mites are the most extensive. Animals attacked with these things need vet treating. Hay is the most common causer of this, so it's recommended to freeze for a few days before use. Anyway, there isn't a huge chance of catching them - my rodents have never had anything like this.

Answer 3

If you do not clean it, the cage will stink. I clean mine about once a week, and that is usually enough to keep them from stinking. Males should not have an odor, but females will have an odor when they are in heat, which is about every three days. It should not be bad with only one hamster. Of course, you know Syrians are solitary and must be kept alone. If you get more than one, they must have separate cages, or they will fight to the death. You can bath a hamster, but it is usually not necessary. Don't listen to all the misinformation about it killing them. I had one a few years back that I bathed once a week to appease my mother who was paranoid that it was going to stink. It never hurt him a bit. I raise hamsters now and very rarely have need to bath one. When the need does arise, however, I do not hesitate and have never had a problem with it.

Answer 4

Hamsters do not stink. If they stink that means they are sick. In fact they are always cleaning themsleves. Mine cleans himself about 20 times a day. If you do not clean the cage every week the cage will smell NOT THE HAMSTERS. THEY ARE VERY CLEAN. If you pick up a hamster and smell it you will not smell anything unless your hamsters gets sick with wet tail then they will have a foul odor. They are not supposed to smell, so when they so thats when you take them to the vet. YOU DO NOT GIVE A HAMSTER A BATH. THEY CLEAN THEMSELVES. Take out some books from the library about hamster care and you will see how clean and odor free they really are.

Answer 5

Hamsters don't smell. You only have to clean their cages about once a week, you don't have to bath the actual animals. Guinea pigs also don't smell - gerbils do a bit. Mice are the stinkiest!!

Hamsters don't generally get fleas or ticks. They may get mites, but usually they don't - you just take them to the vet if they show any signs of mites e.g hair loss, excess scratching, red skin.

I would say get a gerbil, but that's my personal fave out of the choices, but depends what you want!

Chalice

Answer 6

Yes! every living thing has some kind of odor but dont worry its not that bad clean the cage once a week and buy a chincilla sand bath and a bath house for it .Its too dangerous to bath it with water it might catch a cold and the bedding helps very well too and theres some kind of air refreshiner for the cage and yes they can get fleas but only if you dont take care of it well

And a little advice syrian hamsters dont like to run the wheel at first. if your hamster does'nt run get them a exercise ball it helps it run on the cage wheel

Good luck!

Answer 7

1) They don't stink at all unless you never clean their cage. You should clean the cage about once every two weeks.

2) Never, ever give them baths. If you watch them. you notice that hamsters clean themselves.

3) They can get ticks/fleas/lice if not properly cared for. If you do get one and you think they have fleas; take them to a vet. Your vet will prescribe flea medicine for them.

Good luck!

Answer 8

on condition which you do not sparkling the cage. in case you place carefresh bedding interior the cage it obsorbs alot of the scent. Plus hamsters may well be litterbox experienced like a cat so as that still facilitates cut back down on the scent,you're able to use sand for clutter nonetheless not cat clutter.

Answer 9

If you clean out there cage regularly then no they don't stink, but if you have a hamster in a dirty cage, then yea they do stink..... Just make sure that the hamster has it cage clean out, then you wont have a probelm with the hamster stinking. =]

Answer 10

Their cages and living quarters are what stinks. It's the owner's job to keep it clean....and on a daily basis. I never heard of giving a hamster a bath. Never did it myself.... I'd be afraid the poor thing might drown....