How to comb a hamster and take care of the fur, do I need to trim the fur and claws

Both the Syrian hamster and the Djungarian hamster are very clean. It rarely happens that a pet needs to be washed, cut his nails or combed. That is why many owners have never washed or cut their animals. How to comb a hamster is described below.

How to bathe and comb a rodent

Washing these animals under water (especially cold) is not recommended. Rodents are quite clean and lick their fur themselves. You can wash the animal only if it is seriously soiled. When bathing, you can not wet your head, only the carcass.

It is necessary to wash under a weak stream of warm water, after washing immediately dry the animal’s fur so that it is supercooled. Colds in hamsters are practically not treated, and therefore be sure to warm the animal.

How to care for hamster fur

A good substitute for bathing water is sand and salt. You can also wipe the fur with a cloth dipped in warm water.

If your pet’s coat is quite long, you can put a bath of sand or salt (regular or aromatic) in his cage. In it, the rodent will bathe and disinfect its coat.

The long hair of a hamster can not only be washed, but also combed. A toothbrush, doll comb or a special brush with rare teeth is great for this. Short-haired hamsters do not need to be combed, but if desired, this can be done with a dry toothbrush.

Is it possible to shear hamsters

You only need to trim your hamster if it has long hair. Basically, their haircut occurs after the formation of tangles in the wool.

Short-haired hamsters can also be sheared, but this is not necessary. You need to approach the procedure responsibly.

Treat hamster grooming and bathing your hamster responsibly. If the procedure is more likely to harm the rodent than help, it is better to refuse it.

Do I need to trim my hamster’s nails?

Do hamsters cut their nails? It is not necessary to do this, since only a few breeds grow to an uncomfortable size for animals. Owners of breeds with long nails should trim the nails of animals, but this is best done by a veterinarian.

If you still decide on a haircut, you can buy a nail cutter at the pet store. It’s also a good idea to get a “sharpener” on which the hamster sharpens its claws.

How to cut nails

When shearing by hand, you must be extremely careful. When trimming nails, do not:

• cut off the animal’s nail completely (the nail is divided into keratinized and living parts, the keratinized part is completely transparent. Cut only the first one);
• take large scissors, manicure ones with rounded ends are suitable;
• intentionally cut off more than expected; it is better to leave the nail longer than to cause harm.

Before cutting the nails, you need to take the hamster in your hands, put it with your stomach to your palm. Hold the paw with your thumb with your index fingers. Pull out the claw and carefully cut it off with scissors. After completing the procedure, turn the rodent over and repeat the procedure.

Why do hamsters grow long claws

Over time, the animal may grow long nails. When the nails turn black and round, this is a sign that they are overgrown. The rounded ends must be cut off, leaving a little “straight” nail.