Wet wipes are used on an infant’s sensitive skin. Due to their versatility, many people use baby wipes to clean animal fur. Baby wipes are usually devoid of perfumes but aren’t always chemical-free.
Use small animal wipes on hamsters, which can be bought at any pet store. They’ll perform the same role as baby wipes without leaving unwanted residue on the hamster’s fur or triggering allergies.
Hamsters are accomplished at keeping themselves clean and seldom need human assistance. If you ensure your hamster has a sand bath, it’ll usually find a way to remove dirt and oils from its fur.
Can Hamsters Have Baby Wipes?
Baby wipes are a cleaning cupboard staple for most homes, regardless of whether you have children. Many of us use baby wipes for spot cleaning, and homes with pets find them especially helpful.
We mainly use baby wipes on pets because they’re gentle. Baby wipes are usually marketed as soft, durable, and devoid of harmful chemicals or perfumes.
If they’re safe for babies, they’re traditionally considered safe for pets. There are three core purposes for the use of baby wipes on and around hamsters:
- Washing: Bathing your hamster, especially if covered in substrate or poop.
- Play: Giving the hamster something to play with, destroy and chew in the cage. That’s because baby wipes are usually much tougher than normal tissues.
- Cage cleaning: Cleaning should be conducted once a week, with daily spot cleaning.
Only use pet-specialist wipes for hamster care as a safety precaution.
Are Hamsters Allergic to Baby Wipes?
Hamsters are unlikely to be allergic to the material used in baby wipes. Equally, most people use baby wipes on animals over moist towelettes due to the absence of chemicals that could irritate the skin.
Alas, baby wipes aren’t wholly devoid of compounds, making it possible for a hamster to be allergic to them. According to Dermatitis, the preservative named methylisothiazolinone is a common allergen.
If the hamster is allergic to methylisothiazolinone or anything else found in a wet wipe, it’ll experience dry, itchy, and cracked skin. Comfort the hamster by rubbing olive oil into the skin for moisture, and cease using wet wipes.
Can You Bathe a Hamster with Baby Wipes?
If the hamster starts to smell, you may be tempted to clean it up with wet wipes.
While hamsters are fussy about their cleanliness, they have strong-smelling urine, which can create quite an aroma if you fall behind with cage cleaning.
Hamsters shouldn’t be bathed with soap and water unless instructed by a vet. If you provide the hamster with a sand bath in its cage, it’ll use this to keep it clean.
Fill a small vessel with chinchilla bathing dust (not beach sand), and watch your hamster dig, roll, and play in this makeshift sandpit. As well as having fun, the hamster will clear its fur of oils and dirt.
Baby wipes can be used to occasionally clean a hamster. However, baby wipes can leave a residue on the fur, so a hamster will be keen to wash this off and use its sand bath.
Can Hamsters Chew and Destroy Baby Wipes?
Put a tissue into a pet’s cage, and it’ll likely start shredding and seemingly eating the material. The hamster puts the tissue into its cheeks and will use it for bedding.
A hamster won’t necessarily be able to do with this a baby wipe as it’ll be too tough.
This may create a fun challenge to destroy the baby wipe, but it’s also a choking hazard. The hamster may attempt to stuff its cheeks with too large a piece of material.
A baby wipe could serve as a small cooling mat on a hot summer’s day. Place a baby wipe on the cage floor like a towel, and the hamster may enjoy lying on it.
Can You Use Baby Wipes To Clean A Hamster Cage?
Unscented baby wipes can be used to clean a hamster’s cage.
You’ll still need to apply water afterward and scrub away any residue. As mentioned, a hamster’s skin may react poorly to any remnants of chemicals.
The other issue with using baby wipes for this task is the environmental impact. You can’t reuse baby wipes that have been used on a hamster’s cage, especially during a deep clean. Every wipe will need to be used once and then tossed away.
If this jars with your lifestyle, use a wet cloth that can be washed afterward. Along with appropriate antibacterial cleaning materials, this will be just as effective. It may also encourage you to complete a deeper clean than baby wipes will allow.
Alternatives to Baby Wipes for Hamsters
If you spend time in pet stores, you’ll notice alternatives to baby wipes. These will look identical to the baby wipes you buy in a supermarket but will likely be branded as ‘pet wipes’ or ‘small animal wipes.’
You’d be forgiven for being cynical, assuming that these products are relabeling an existing product and attempting to cash in on animal lovers. Pet-specific wipes are different from traditional baby wipes.
The fundamental difference is the chemicals contained within the wipe. Baby wipes contain ingredients that soothe human skin but aren’t intended to be ingested.
Animal fur is different. If you use a baby wipe on a hamster, it’ll still groom itself afterward and could swallow moisturizers, alcohol, and essential oils.
Pet wipes contain no additional ingredients: they’re plain, moist towelettes designed exclusively for spot-cleaning fur and a habitat.
Now, this answers one question but raises another. If animal wipes are just wet tissue, why spend money on them rather than just applying a washcloth to your hamster in times of need?
Some prefer an animal wipe on their hamsters as it’s softer and temperature-appropriate. The wipes rarely retail for more than $2-3, so we consider them worthwhile.
Pet-specific wipes are a safer option than most organic baby wipes. Baby wipes are gentle, but they’re not designed with the needs of small animals in mind.
