Sand Baths For Hamsters

Today we’ll be discussing everything there is to know about using sand baths for hamsters. I’ll be sharing my experience and answering some commonly asked questions, and linking some sources at the end. Do hamsters need sand baths? Will any old sand do? How big (or small) does a sand bath need to be? These questions and more will be answered throughout this post. Let’s dive right into it.

What You’ll Need/How To Set Up A Sand Bath

So what do you need to create an exceptional sand bath for your hammy?

• A dish or tray
• A sieve
• Sand

All these components can be found for about $20 or less and will last a very long time. It’s definitely worth it.

The thing which will contain the sand can be any material. Baking trays, casserole dishes, and plastic containers all work nicely. You can also find specifically manufactured sand baths for hamsters available online.

The dish should be at least 6×6 inches for a dwarf hamster and 8×8 or larger for a Chinese/Syrian. For any species it should be at least 2 inches deep.

For cleaning out crumbs or poo from the sand, a small sieve is very handy. These can be found at most dollar stores for a few bucks. You can get any size you like, but I recommend getting a 3 or 4 inch one that will fit in the sand bath.

As for the most important element of a sand bath (sand), there are a few options. Most people (including myself) use Children’s Play Sand. It usually comes in bags of 20-50 pounds from hardware stores, and is relatively cheap.

Most kid’s sand doesn’t require disinfecting, but will need to be dried out. I personally let it air dry in a tray for a few days, but you can also bake it for a few hours to speed things up.

Should you decide to disinfect sand before use, baking it will both dry and disinfect it.

I also recommend sieving all the sand as you put it into the bath. This really makes a huge difference, as Children’s Play Sand tends to be pretty rough.

The other option is reptile sand from the pet store. The most common brand is Zoo Med, and I have heard wonderful things about it (namely its smoothness). You can get the red or tan coloured stuff, but avoid the calcium coated sands (for reptiles as well as hamsters!).

Calcium sand entices your pet to eat it, which then causes impaction (lethal constipation).

Long-Term Use

Sand baths require little maintenance. Basically, sieve it a few times a week. If your hamster pees in it, remove the pee clumps when spot cleaning (a small spoon or your sieve works great). Replace the removed sand as needed.

Does My Hamster NEED A Sand Bath?

In a word, yes.

Sand baths provide an opportunity for your hamster to remove excess oils from their fur. This will make them look nicer and be healthier.

It’s also a very natural behavior, and providing them with a sand bath is an awesome source of enrichment, even if your hamster doesn’t use it often.

The $20 (or less) put into a sand bath is worth every penny if you ask me.

What To Expect

I figured you should be prepared for how your hamster will use the sand bath, as it may be a shocking sight to some.

Most hamsters will simply roll in the sand, while others will dig or flail around, usually making a huge mess of it. Don’t worry, they’re fine 😉

Some hamsters may show no interest. Even so, leave the sand bath in.

My Experience With Sand Baths

I first started using sand baths with my current hamster, Stew, who is a Roborovski. I had read that they are prone to greasiness and that Robos especially benefit from a sand bath due to their desert origins.

I purchased a bag of Children’s Play Sand from my local hardware store, and put it in a tray where it dried over a few days. I then sieved it and filled my ceramic casserole dish for the future hamster.

I haven’t had any problems with using Children’s Play Sand, and it gets smoother the longer you use it from sieving out seed husks and the bigger ‘sand bits.’

I’ve found Stew doesn’t particularly like his sand bath. It might be because of his soil substrate or just his personal preference, but either way, I have downsized it so it doesn’t waste space. I still feel it’s important for him to have one, albeit a small one.

For upkeep I simply sieve the surface every couple days, and I’ve been using the same batch of sand for over 3 months. The 10 pound bag I have will undoubtedly last Stew’s lifetime.

Conclusion

When I had this idea I didn’t realize I’d have so much information to share about sand baths! I’d like to thank my sources, namely Victoria Raechel, HamppoTV, and HamsterLAB on YouTube. I love their content, please check them out!

I hope any questions you had about sand baths were answered in this post, but if you can think of anything else let me know in the Reply section below!

If you’re interested in more hamster-related content be sure to like this post and follow the blog, and I’ll be back on Tuesday with more small pet care, DIYs, recipes, cage setups, stories and more, have a ham-tastic day!