How to Clean a Small Pet's Cage
It's not the best part of owning a pet, but somebody's gotta do it.
Up next in How to Care for Small Pets (13 videos)
Small pets need special care. Learn how to tend to your little four-legged friend with these Howcast videos.
You Will Need
- An empty, dry bathtub
- A large garbage bag
- Paper towels or dishtowels
- Dishwashing detergent or other mild soap
- Clean bedding—aspen shavings, pelleted paper, or hay
- And a dustpan and brush or vacuum cleaner
- White vinegar
Steps
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Step 1
Put your pet in a safe, enclosed place where he can stay while you clean his cage. An empty, dry bathtub or an empty wastebasket—clean, of course!—works well.
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Step 2
Take all the toys, food dishes, and water bottles out of the cage.
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Step 3
Dump the dirty bedding from the cage into a garbage bag.
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Step 4
Using paper towels, remove any clumped bedding that's stuck to the bottom of the cage. Animals often use the corners of cages as their bathrooms.
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Step 5
Soak a paper towel or dishtowel with water and a bit of mild soap. Use it to wipe out the entire interior of the cage—all the nooks and crannies.
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If the cage still smells after you've washed it, you can wipe it down with a solution of equal parts of white vinegar and water. Then rinse it thoroughly.
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Step 6
Use paper towels or a clean dishtowel to dry the cage completely.
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Step 7
Line the cage with a few inches of clean, new bedding.
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Pine and cedar shavings contain chemicals that can be harmful to small animals, so don't use them.
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Step 8
Clean your pet's plastic toys, food dishes, and water bottle with mild soap and warm water, then rinse and dry them thoroughly.
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Step 9
Replace any cardboard tubes, paper towels, and other nesting materials.
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Step 10
Fill the dishes with new food, and put new water in the water bottle.
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Step 11
Put the toys, food dishes, and water bottle back in the cage.
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Rearranging your pet's toys and bowls each time you clean the cage gives him something new to explore.
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Step 12
Use a dustpan and brush or vacuum cleaner to sweep up the floor or surface around or under the cage.
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Step 13
Return your pet to his sparkling-clean quarters—and watch as he starts rearranging everything the way he wants it!
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In the wild, hamsters dig and live in tunnels up to three feet deep.
