A question I've heard a dozen times since building Amylase's natural style cage is "How do you clean it?". It seems a few people feel that these type of cages must be very difficult to maintain but when you think about it the only differences between these cages and "domestic" cages is the substrate so there should be no difference and no extra effort for cleaning.
Well in fact these cages are even easier to maintain than regular cages as well as cheaper and much more economical.
Along with being the original creators of these style cages the Germans also came up with a wonderful cleaning method that is beneficial to both hamster and owner, it helps to keep the owners wallet heavy, the hamsters stress minimal and still gives you a clean and hygienic cage.
I do want to say first off that although I use soil in my cage that is because I don't have access to other preferred substrates. Ideally you want to use one of the following substrates for the main area of the cage: aspen, Aubiose (hemp), megazorb or kiln dried wood shavings.
Do not use: cedar, non-kiln dried shavings or corncob substrate.
Cleaning The Main Cage (Soil or other)
The first thing to note is that this main area only gets cleaned out once a month (every 4 weeks). This does not lead to more smells but it does allow the hamster to be less stressed as their home is not getting up-turned every week. The larger the cage and the better ventilated it is, the less likely it is to smell at all in the month.
When you have decided that its cleaning day you need to remove all of the hamsters toys and accessories from the cage - some owners say its best not to remove the hamster but that is up to you. I always remove Amylase to her travel cage.
Mark the cage into thirds. Identify the third you feel the hamster uses the most and begin removing this and binning the dirty substrate.
Now with the remaining substrate mix it around together dragging the least used substrate at the bottom to the top.
Leave the substrate to breath for 10 minutes and prepare to add the clean substrate. You'll want to add an equal amount to the amount you removed.
Add the clean substrate and mix it again. When you are done compress the substrate down to create a stable terrain for burrow building.
Re-add the toys, accessories and hamster.
Cleaning The Sand Cage
This is even easier! Providing that your hamster doesn't pee much in the sand then you will only ever need to fully change it when you feel it's old or a bit wiffy.
In the meantime you just need to spot clean every 3 days. This requires two things, a scoop and a sieve.
Scoop up the areas of sand that are dirty and pour them into the sieve, the clean sand will fall through back into the cage while the dirt and droppings will remain in the sieve. Bin the dirt and you're done!
It really is a lot more convenient and the hamster is not suffering from stress caused by a constant changes in surroundings and smells. Because you still keep 2/3 of the old substrate the cage will always smell familiar to your hamster, it will always smell like his own territory. You don't need to buy as much substrate either as you only need enough to fill a third of a cage not a whole cage, better for you, better for your hamster, better for the environment!
Perhaps this easy cleaning method will edge you more towards considering natural style cages in future, if you are considering it be sure to check out some German hamster forums first for tips and advice!
Until the next time...
Erin xx
