The sun is out, the easter eggs have been eaten, the birds are singing and finally it is not dark on the way home from work – spring is here! 

For most of us spring brings a sense of calm and joy, a bit of a mid-year restart, which has been the case for many cultures throughout history, hence the term ‘spring cleaning’. But it’s not all about us, and when we talk about making positive changes it’s nice to reflect on our pets and how they survive and thrive in our world too. One of the most positive ways we can improve our small pets’ environment is focusing on keeping it clean and refreshed. This article is going to cover some spring-cleaning measures we can take with our small pets’ enclosures to ensure hygiene and comfort are maintained at all times.  

Spring cleaning job 1 – check your enclosure is fit for purpose and make any changes needed if not 

Hamsters, gerbils and rats are all popular small pets kept in the UK. 

Hamsters should be kept in cages that have at least 100cm x 50cm floorspace

In addition, they need at least 50cm tall. This is a minimum requirement and in reality, the bigger the enclosure you can provide your hamster the better. Traditionally wire cages are advertised for keeping hamsters in. If you’re using one, then it is important to make sure the wire bars have no more than a 1cm gap between them to prevent your hamster escaping, and that the ramps and flooring used in the enclosure are made of a solid material and not wire, to prevent your hamster from injuring themselves.  

Hamster enclosures are often sold with elaborate tube style systems, but in fact these are not well suited to hamsters, with some larger Syrian hamsters often getting stuck in the tubing and all species of hamster struggling with climbing. A far better thing to include in your hamster enclosure is a digging area filled with suitable substrate, as hamsters need to burrow and should be able to do this in their environment. Ideally, this area should be at least 20cm deep. You may find a Gerbilarium set up, discussed further below, with a cage topper above the tank a good way of providing this. You can read more about what to provide in hamster enclosures here. 

Gerbils should be kept in tanks known as Gerbilariums 

These can be made of glass or perspex, but importantly must be at least 40cm in depth, allowing burrowing material to be at a minimum height of 25cm and space above this for the gerbil to fully stand up (approximately 12cm). Gerbils are not suited to wire cage set ups like those seen with hamsters and rats as they need a significant space available to burrow and tunnel in suitable substrate.  

The tops of Gerbilariums are often wire cage additions that add additional levels to the enclosure to allow the gerbil to explore multiple heights and add additional vertical space to the environment. As with hamsters and rats, all ladders connecting levels in the enclosure should be made of solid structures not wire, to avoid injury to their feet and limbs if they get caught.  

Gerbils also require an inside nest box and a separate sand bath for bathing in their enclosure. Gerbils should not have any plastic material in their enclosure, including toys made of plastic, as they will naturally chew excessively, and there is a high likelihood they will ingest the plastic which could lead to significant health issues. Food bowls used in the enclosure should be made of stainless steel.  

The Blue Cross states that 2-4 gerbils in an enclosure should have a minimum space of 100cm long by 40cm wide and 40cm deep. Keep in mind this is a minimum requirement and the bigger the enclosure the better.  

Rats should be kept in large, tall wire cages, the bigger the better!  

The minimum size requirements for the living space for a group of 2-5 rats are at least 90cm long, 60cm deep and 120cm tall, but ideally, they should be as large as possible, and for groups of 5+ rats should be even bigger. As with Hamsters and Gerbils, the flooring and ramps of the caged area should be solid to avoid injury to their feet or trapping their limbs. Additionally, they need a nesting area and other cage furniture such as hammocks and toys to play with.  

Spring cleaning job 2 – replace the substrate  

Substrates used in small pet cages vary from pet safe shavings and shredded paper to hemp bedding and paper-based pellets. Whichever substrate you choose for your pet, it is important to ensure that it is suitable for the pet you have and is specifically formulated for use with small pets so not to cause them any harm.  

Substrates should be spot cleaned to remove any faeces, and obvious damp urine patches or debris daily, but should then also be fully cleaned out and replaced in their entirety ideally once a week. Once the substrate has been removed, the cage should be cleaned and disinfected with a pet safe disinfectant before being rinsed and dried and then having fresh clean substrate laid down. 

Why is it important to replace all the substrate frequently? 

If substrate is left in place and not fully replaced ammonia from urine rapidly builds up in the environment which can cause respiratory irritation and health issues. Additionally, soiled dirty bedding left in the environment is a great place for bacteria to grow, which can result in significant health issues.  

Spring cleaning job 3 – water supply maintenance  

All animals should have access to water 24/7 with no exceptions. It is important this water is clean and fresh and replaced daily. Whilst most pet owners are aware they should replace their pets’ water daily, it is common that the bottle, bowl or dish the water is provided in can be missed in the cleaning process. The water container should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week with a pet safe disinfectant and then thoroughly rinsed and dried before fresh water is added back and it is given to the pet. If a bottle is used it’s important to use a dedicated bottle brush for cleaning to ensure no areas inside the bottle are missed which can lead to harmful bacteria build up. Additionally, the spout on the end of the bottle should be thoroughly cleaned inside and out and the ball which the animals push to release water should be cleaned and checked to ensure it is functioning correctly.  

Spring cleaning job 4 – disinfect and clean nest boxes, cage furniture and toys  

It is important that all toys, cage furniture including hammocks and nest boxes are cleaned regularly with a pet safe disinfectant to ensure that harmful bacteria does not build up on the materials, as accumulation of bacteria in frequently used areas by your pets can lead to significant health problems for them.  

Summary: 

  • Maintaining a hygienic environment for your small pet is vitally important to keep them safe and healthy.  
  • Small pets should be kept in enclosures of a specific size and style suitable for the species  
  • All substrates should be changed in its entirety frequently, ideally at least once a week 
  • All cage furniture, nest boxes and toys should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected regularly  
  • All water bottles, bowls and dishes should be replaced with clean water daily and thoroughly cleaned at least once a week