Dwarf hamsters are friendly household pets that don’t require much maintenance. However, there are some things you must do regularly, such as clean the cage and make sure everything is hygienic. Even if all this is up to par, you might still wonder if dwarf hamsters smell.
Dwarf hamsters don’t smell if you keep their cages clean and well-maintained. Thankfully, hamsters like to be as clean as possible, so they often self-clean by licking their paws and fur. Cleaning the cage often will prevent any smells from worsening and affecting your hamster.
This article will discuss if different types of hamsters smell and how to keep them clean. Keep reading to learn more valuable information!
Do Syrian Hamsters Smell?
Syrian hamsters usually don’t smell because they like to keep themselves clean, as do dwarf hamsters. A Syrian hamster will only smell if its environment is smelly. For example, the biggest culprit would be a messy cage containing feces and rotting food.
Urine and dampness (mold issues) can also cause unpleasant smells in your hamster.
If your Syrian hamster smells terrible, you should check the cage and clean it, ensuring you get rid of all traces of rotting food, urine, and feces.
Do Female Syrian Hamsters Smell?
Female Syrian hamsters can smell, but they shouldn’t in most cases. However, you may notice an unpleasant scent during heat, which occurs every few days. This is normal, and the smell should subside when the heat is over.
The smell is often musky, meaning it’s unpleasant but not as unpleasant as many other smells (like rotting food or feces). Since it’s normal, there’s nothing you can do about it. Female Syrian hamsters may have different heat smells but are generally musky.
How Much Do Syrian Hamsters Smell?
Syrian hamsters generally don’t smell a lot because they like to stay clean. If you look after them properly, there shouldn’t be unpleasant odors. When in heat, Syrian females can give off a foul odor worse than the males.
But other than this, Syrian hamsters should have relatively neutral odors that aren’t too strong.
Do Roborovski Hamsters Smell?
Roborovski hamsters don’t smell if their environments are clean and well-maintained. Like Syrian hamsters, this species regularly cleans itself by licking its paws and fur. A wild roborovski might be more likely to smell bad if it’s in a dirty environment and can’t keep itself clean.
For example, a roborovski hamster might smell if the urine dries into the fur. Alternatively, it might get feces on its body and be unable to remove it thoroughly.
But in most cases, roborovski hamsters have neutral smells, and you shouldn’t notice anything pungent or unpleasant.
Do Robo Hamsters Smell?
Robo hamsters only smell if they’re in a dirty environment and can’t get clean. If they are clean, they may have a slight musky smell, but the odor shouldn’t be too strong or noticeable. Robo hamsters can stay clean by licking themselves and taking sand baths to remove dirt particles.
Since they’re the smallest species of dwarf hamster, it’s easy for them to clean themselves and stay clean, as they have less area to cover than other types of hamsters!
Do Teddy Bear Hamsters Smell?
Teddy bear hamsters don’t usually smell, but they can smell bad if dirt gets stuck in their fur for long periods. Since teddy bear hamsters have longer hair, debris is more likely to get caught in it and can be harder to remove.
The best way to prevent unpleasant odors in a teddy bear hamster is to brush through the fur regularly, ensuring you get rid of any knots or clumps of dirt. Sand baths will also help to remove dirt from the long coat.
If you can’t remove dirt or knots from the long fur by brushing it, consider cutting it carefully. Doing so will prevent bad smells from getting worse.
Do Robo Dwarf Hamsters Smell?
Robo dwarf hamsters don’t smell bad, so the cage or environment will likely need cleaning if they do. Be sure to check the cage and remove any old food and feces. Additionally, remove any urine-soaked items from the cage. Once that’s done, a robo dwarf hamster should smell fine.
Sometimes, a female robo dwarf hamster might smell worse than her male counterparts. That’s because, like other hamsters, robo dwarf hamsters also go into heat and can emit slightly unpleasant musky odors.
Do Chinese Dwarf Hamsters Smell?
Chinese dwarf hamsters shouldn’t smell bad in most cases. Some might smell slightly pungent, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable. Once the living environment is cleaned regularly, there shouldn’t be nasty smells.
However, Chinese dwarf hamsters have relatively long tails, so they might be slightly more prone to getting dirty. But even still, most Chinese dwarf hamsters can keep themselves clean, including their long tails.
If a Chinese dwarf hamster gets the wet tail disease, it will likely smell bad.
Do Winter White Hamsters Smell
Winter white hamsters don’t smell bad because, like all other hamsters, they like to keep themselves clean as much as possible. Winter white hamsters don’t want to feel dirty, so they enjoy sand baths and cleaning themselves with their paws.
If you fail to clean a winter white hamster’s cage for an extended period, it is more likely to smell bad because it will likely come into frequent contact with old feces, food, and bacteria.
When this happens, the smell can become so bad that it affects the entire room or home. So as soon as you notice your winter white hamster has a pungent smell, check the cage to ensure it’s clean and tidy.
How To Ensure a Hamster Stays Clean
Like cats, hamsters are self-cleaning and don’t need water baths in most cases, so they’re relatively low-maintenance. However, there are some things you can do to make sure they remain clean and don’t emit horrible smells.
Below are some of the main things to consider.
Give Sand Baths
Sand baths are excellent because hamsters enjoy them. Plus, they help keep them clean! The sand removes oils and dirt that may build up over time, so incorporating a sand bath into the cage is a great idea.
All hamster species can enjoy and use a sand bath now and then, which is generally more appropriate than a water bath. Water baths can be dangerous for hamsters, as they may become too cold and get hypothermia.
Consider a sand bath to ensure your hamster doesn’t smell bad!
Keep the Cage Clean
You must keep a hamster’s cage clean if you don’t want it to smell bad. As you can imagine, a hamster’s cage can become dirty pretty quickly.
Clean it every so often, ensuring you get rid of anything that could cause bad smells. Replace bedding if it’s foul, and remove leftover food that’s been there for too long. Wipe everything, and make sure everything is dry before letting the hamster back in the cage.
Ensure There Is Plenty of Airflow
Hamsters can get cold quickly, which can lead to hypothermia. Their cage should be warm enough. However, moisture won’t dry as promptly without adequate airflow, and mold growth might become a problem. As a result, bad smells can develop, directly affecting a hamster’s scent.
Ensure adequate airflow around the cage, but you also don’t want it to be too cold.
Conclusion
Dwarf hamsters shouldn’t smell in most cases. However, they might smell if their living environment is dirty or if they’re a female hamster in heat. The same can be said for most hamster species, including Robo and Chinese hamsters.
To ensure a hamster doesn’t smell bad, give it access to a sand bath and clean the cage. Remove old food, feces, and urine from the cage as needed.