Water is an indispensable part of a hamster’s diet, obviously, because they need water to survive. As you a responsible owner, you have concerned about the amount of water your hamsters should intake per day or how to tell if your hamsters are thirsty; this article is definitely for you!
To solid belief of readers, we did our research double, or even triple checked all information given. So, don’t worry anymore! In this article, we will provide you with hamster water habits and related issues. So, stay tuned and read on our post today!
We will give you a bonus of top 3 best water bottles for hamsters 2020 at the end, so don’t miss out on any parts!
Page Contents
Overview of Hamster Water Habits
We all know that water is a vital thing for any living being, and so do hamsters.
Some kinds of animals can survive without water, but hamsters are absolutely not one of those. They require good quality of water to remain alive.
Hamsters are majorly nocturnal when humans often go to sleep, but they are most active.
Accordingly, they will regularly intake water the most at that time. They still drink a little bit of water during the daytime; however, most of their drinking occurs at night.
What’s more, just like humans, hamsters often go-to drinking water right off the bat after a workout.
Notice that anytime putting them in an exercise ball about half an hour and then taking them back to the cage, you will see they immediately come to the water bottle.
Besides, hamster water habits mostly depend on your hamster’s daily diet. Why is that? Because if you give her a lot of exclusive dry food such as pellets, seeds, and grains, your little pet will consume more water.
If you feed her plenty of watery vegetables, she will drink less.
How much water on average does hamster need to drink in a day?
Of course, hamsters do not need to drink a lot of water like humans, on average, a hamster with 100 to 200 grams, just intakes 10 to 20 ml (2 teaspoons to 4 teaspoons) of water per day.
According to the Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals, depending on the hamster’s body weights, genders, or breed, he/she consumes different amounts of water.
You can look at the list of specifications of roundly 100-gram hamsters:
- Syrian female hamsters drink roughly 14 ml of water in a day
- Syrian male hamsters intake around 5 ml of water per day
- Female Chinese hamsters intake 12.9 mL daily
- Male Chinese hamsters consume 11.4ml of water per day
- Male and female Golden hamsters drink around 8.5 ml per day
But not all hamsters are roundly 100 to 200 grams; there are some exceptions to certain breeds. For example, the Dwarf hamster just weighs around 50 grams and consumes roundly 5 ml in a day.
Anyway, no matter what intake little or much water, do all hamsters need to access fresh and clean water.
Why does a hamster need a water bottle?
A water bottle is definitely crucial for your little pet. Because one of the hamster water habits is that they require to need reliable access to a fresh-water source, and a water bottle offers it easily.
Moreover, a water bottle allows you to check your hamster’s water daily more effortlessly.
How do you get a hamster to drink from a water bottle?
Unlike some types of animals like dogs or cats, hamsters need to use specialized bottles with their vacuum action, stems, and ball bearings.
Hamsters also can drink from a bowl, yet they will knock over and spill water in their cage. So, a water bottle is a wise option.
To get a hamster to drink from a water bottle, just follow these steps:
Step 1: Select the best hamster-size bottle.
Water bottles come in various sizes in the market as they are designed for different animals. So, make sure that you pick up a water bottle tailored for your little critters.
If a water container is too large, an unlimited amount of water might get out at once, which might make your hamsters distressed.
Step 2: Take off the cap from the new bottle and sink all of them into hot water roughly 2 minutes.
This is a crucial step to get rid of harmful bacteria from the bottle.
After submerging them into hot water, empty it, and put fresh, cold water into the bottle until reaching the top.
Bear in mind to fill it to the top, so that the vacuum can appear inside the bottle, avoid much water dripping out of the sipper.
Step 3: Run your finger over the ball stopper.
- In case your bottle only has one, keep it so the stem is down.
- Ensure that water comes out when you do this.
- If water does not come out, you can push on it with a cotton scrab or your finger, and then let it drop turn down.
- To make sure, just run your finger over the ball bearing again.
Step 4: Select the place in the cage to put the bottle.
The ideal placement for the bottle is to receive sunlight directly, though, indirect light is essential because you need to observe it every single day.
Remember to check the water running down daily as well as cleanse algae; which ensures your little friend always has enough intake water and avoid some serious health problems.
Step 5: Locate the water bottle in your little friend’s enclosure.
Place the water bottle enclose your little critters. You can use a metal ring with two clips, put the bottle inside the ring, attach it onto the cage using the clips.
If your pet’s shelter is not a cage, some attachment choices you can opt for, namely fabric fastener, duct tape, or even string.
Step 6: Pay attention to your hamster.
Your hamster will begin to bite the tip of the sipper if she cannot drink water from the bottle. If your bottle has a stem, your little friend might not understand how it works.
A small tip is that you can put some honey on the darn. She will lick it, force it to the side and yeah, she can access water, simultaneously, learn something new.
Can you get your hamster to drink from a bowl or a dish?
It is OK to get your hamster to drink from both of them; however, the best idea still goes for water bottles.
Especially if you have a tricky hamster, she will slip the water bowl, tip over the water in her cage, and make a mess.
Plus, she plays and climbs around her cage, unintentionally spills nesting materials in the bowl, which makes the water impure. It can result in her health problems if she accesses this water source.
In case your hamster likes a water bowl/dish rather than a water bottle, put it higher up, and shift her water every single day.
Can your critter intake tap water?
In several countries, tap water is purified, yet in a lot of other countries is not.
So, your little critter can consume tap water as long as the water is drinkable, not polluted and contaminated.
Bear in mind that the water you feed your hamster not too cold and not too hot; room temperature is highly recommended. But it is better if you should give your critter distilled or bottled water.
How to know the amount of water your little critter intaking?
The easiest way is that you make full your pet’s container with water after that, take a dry erase marker to draw the line at the highest spot.
In this way, you can get to know your little critter drinking enough water or not yet. Check the bottle regularly to see if the water is dripping down.
One of the problems appearing when using water containers is leaking. So, check it by touching the ground below the bottle, if it is wet, you have a leaky bottle and need to repair or grab a new one.
One trick is that you should never let the bottle drained to bottom because there will be particles invasion making the water dirty at the end.
Ideally, we always replace water when the hamster consumed 2/3. When we go on vacation, we leave more than one bottles and food for the pet to crave.
How to know hamsters are dehydrated?
Hamsters can live about 3 to 4 days without drinking water. Your hamster, in fact, gets to experience a little dehydration after a couple of hours without intaking water.
To avoid leading to the undesirable death in your hamster, follow symptoms and how to rehydrate your hamsters:
Symptoms of dehydration
- Labored breathing
- Sunken eyes
- Dry mucous membranes in the eyes
- Lethargy
- Loose skin
- Weakness
Besides, one quick way to know dehydration of your hamster is to lightly pinch the loose skin at the scruff of her neck.
In case the skin rapidly turns back the original position, your hamster is in proper hydration. Otherwise, she is dehydrated.
Rehydrating your little critter
If your hamster just runs out of the water a few hours, you can grant her water and let her drink as much as she wants.
If you believe that your little friend is severely dehydrated, take her to your veterinarian straight off the bat.
If necessary, the veterinarian of your will give intravenous fluids to rehydrate her.
Alternatively, your vet can add some mineral supplements or salt along with fluids to recover her condition faster.
Can you wash your hamster?
The answer is absolute, “Nope.” Because hamsters mostly come from dry climates and do not have an inclination toward the water so, you should not try to bathe your pet with water.
Your pet may love you, but when they freak out, it’s not their fault to be out of control.
When meeting with water and being restrained in your hands, the critter may not feel safe and he may bite you to break free.
A damp or wet hamster is a likelihood of catching a cold, even dead in short order. Hamsters cleanse themselves using their saliva and paws. So, just let them make clean in their own way
A BONUS: Top 3 Best Water Bottles for Hamster 2020
#1: Choco Nose hamster water bottle
This product is specialized for small animals like hamsters. This product’s highlight is the patented design granting the resisted leaking nozzle.
This assists in saving water, ensure the water only comes out when your hamster sucks the tube.
Plus, the nozzle’s size is small enough, which allows your hamster to drink from it easily. What’s more, this water bottle comes with a screw-on-bracket, let you easily attach it in the cage.
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#2: Sungrow Pretty Purple Water Dispenser
With the 10-ml capacity of this water dispenser, you are no need to worry even if you leave your little friend on alone for a couple of hours.
The best thing is that water will not drip out as it comes out with a ball bearing.
What’s more, equipped with a .3-inch nozzle, this water bottle is small enough to enable critters to access water from it.
The water container is BPA-free plastic, and the drinking head of the bottle is made of high-quality stainless steel.
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#3: Kordon Oasis Novalek Water Bottle
This is the most stylish choice compared to the two mentioned products in our ranking. Not only that, this product comes with a two-piece kit, and a convenient nozzle as well.
This 4-ounce water bottle is made of particular materials, crystal styrene, and owns a fabulous appearance. Also, it offers a rounded bottle top prevents the hamster from biting it, and a modifiable cage strap.
Indeed, a water bottle is must-have stuff to retain your hamster hydrated. If you still have not a water container yet, take one of them into account straight away!
No products found.
See more water bottles for hamster here: https://petlifebuzz.com/best-hamster-water-bottle/
In conclusion
After reading the helpful information above, we sincerely hope that you can catch your hamster water habits and related stuff.
Remember that water is essential for all living beings. To guarantee a healthy life for your hamsters, freshwater is a key.
If you have other questions about hamster water habits as well as our article, don’t hesitate to leave your thought in the comment section below!
Last update on 2021-11-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API