Hamsters may be tiny animals, but they have a huge appetite for water. It’s not surprising for a hamster to take countless sips of water daily, especially when they’re very active. However, can hamsters drink out of a bowl or only a bottle?
Hamsters can drink out of a bowl. In fact, a water bowl allows them to drink water as they naturally would in the wild — without having to tilt their body upwards to reach a bottle’s nozzle. However, you have to be careful to choose the right bowl and position it correctly to avoid mishaps.
A well-hydrated hamster is a happy and healthy hamster. The rest of this article will discuss whether drinking bowls are safe for hamsters, what hamsters prefer to drink from, and the pros and cons of a water bottle and bowl. Let’s get started.
Can Dwarf Hamsters Drink Out of a Bowl?
Dwarf hamsters can drink out of a bowl. In fact, some hamsters just aren’t able to get the hang of a water bottle, making it difficult to ensure they’re hydrated throughout the day. Therefore, water bowls ensure hamsters stay hydrated.
If your hamster can’t figure out how to drink from a bottle or simply doesn’t want to, the drinking bowl is an easy alternative.
However, there is some concern about the water bowl. Some hamsters, especially dwarf hamsters, drown in their drinking bowls. So if you can’t get your hamster to drink from the bottle, make sure to choose a drinking bowl that’s right for your pet to avoid accidents.
A good hamster drinking bowl has the following qualities:
- Shallow: It has to be shallow enough so that your hamster doesn’t have a hard time taking a sip but deep enough to be able to hold enough water for the day.
- Small opening: If you can find a dish bowl like a rock bowl that has a small opening, that would be a good choice. It can prevent accidental slips into the water, keeping your hamster safe from drowning.
- Movable lid: A drinking bowl with a lid is ideal for small pets because it eliminates the risk of drowning.
- Heavy: The bowl should be heavy enough so that your hamster won’t be able to tip it over when it’s running around. A ceramic bowl is typically better than a plastic one.
- Chew-proof: You’ll commonly see drinking bowls made of lightweight plastic — stay away from those because they won’t last long. Ceramic or glass bowls are way better because those hamster teeth won’t get through them.
Do Hamsters Prefer Water Bottles or Bowls?
Hamsters prefer water bowls over water bottles for several reasons, one of them being that drinking from a water bowl is more natural for a hamster than drinking from a water bottle.
In the wild, hamsters drink water on the ground, so when in captivity, it’s unnatural for them to reach up to a water source.
Another reason why hamsters may prefer drinking from a bowl is that it takes some time for them to learn to drink from a water bottle. Hamsters have a very sharp sense of smell, which they use for navigating and locating food and water. So yes, your hamster will quickly figure out what the water bottle is for because it can smell water.
Despite knowing that there’s water in the bottle, however, hamsters may not be able to understand that the water bottle’s nozzle will get water to flow when they suck on it.
Thankfully, hamsters are trainable. And given enough patience and time, you can teach your hamster to use the bottle if you prefer that over the bowl.
You can train your hamster to drink from a bottle by doing the following:
- Lure your hamster to the bottle’s nozzle. Place a bit of treat or hamster food on the bottle’s nozzle to get your pet to suckle on it.
- Take the bottle out of the cage and nurse your hamster with it. If your hamster doesn’t approach the bottle at all, take out the bottle and have your pet drink from it by applying the nozzle to its mouth. Put the bottle back in the cage afterward.
Your pet may not get it right away even if you do these things, so you must be patient. Keep repeating the bottle training until your hamster figures it out and drinks from the bottle on its own.
Tip: If you want to see which one your hamster likes, try to use both a water bottle and a water bowl. Unlike humans, hamsters won’t feign their true feelings and will choose the option that they like.
Both the water bowl and the bottle have pros and cons, and they both can work effectively. What’s important is that your hamster stays well-hydrated.
Pros and Cons of a Water Bottle
Water bottles are generally considered the safer and more efficient option, but hamsters also have personalities and preferences that should be considered when choosing one over the other. Here are the pros and cons of using a water bottle to help you make your decision.
Pros
- Water stays clean. With a water bottle, the water doesn’t get mixed with bedding material, food, and dirt, so you don’t have to change the water every day.
- A bottle has a higher water capacity. Water bottles hold more water than bowls, which is ideal for those that don’t have the time to keep changing their pet’s water.
- Bottles stay in place. Hamsters are very energetic animals that like to spend their days running around in their cage. But you don’t have to worry about a bottle getting tipped over, even if you have a hyperactive pet.
Cons
- Using bottles requires training. Drinking from a water bottle is unnatural for a hamster, so you’ll have to spend time teaching your pet to use it.
- Hamsters may just not like bottles. Even if you train your hamster, there’s always a possibility that it just won’t like using a bottle and prefers the usual way of drinking.
- Bottles are harder to clean. Water bottles, unlike bowls, have more parts that you need to clean, so when the time comes for washing them, it will take much more time.
- Bottles are more expensive. Water bottles cost more money than the average drinking bowl.
Pros and Cons of a Water Bowl
While there are plenty of pros when it comes to water bottles, there are also several pros with water bowls. Let’s look at the pros and cons of using the traditional drinking bowl.
Pros
- Bowls are easy to use. Drinking bowls are far easier for hamsters to use because it’s the way they naturally drink in the wild — down on the ground. So, there’s no training needed.
- Bowls are easy to clean. Bowls don’t have any complicated parts to take apart. All you need is a few minutes of washing with soap and water.
- Bowls are inexpensive and durable. Hamster drinking bowls are very cheap, and as long as you choose the right kind, they can last a very long time.
Cons
- There’s the risk of drowning. If you choose a bowl that’s too deep for your hamster’s size, your pet can accidentally drown in it.
- Water can easily get dirty. Bits of your pet’s food can get mixed with water, so you have to change the water often. One solution for this is placing the bowl on a platform.
Conclusion
Hamsters can drink out of a bowl or a bottle. Both of these have pros and cons, and there are quick workarounds for the downsides of each. When making your pick, consider your hamster’s safety, convenience, and preference.