How to Deal With a Dead Hamster

Anytime a beloved pet dies, it is difficult. Hamsters are no exception. When your pet hamster dies, you must go through the mourning process. However, you must also deal with the remains of the hamster and the hamster cage. While it is hard when your pet dies, you must help yourself heal and move on.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels
  • Shoebox
  • Masking tape
  • Shovel
  • Gloves
  • Garbage bags
  • Dish soap
  • Sponge
  • Bleach
  • Large bucket
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Instructions

  1. Removal and Burial

    • 1

      Take the cage out into an open area such as the yard. This helps eliminate the dead smell in the house.

    • 2

      Open the lid of the cage. Place the lid on the ground.

    • 3

      Cover your hand with paper towels. Reach your hand in the cage and carefully pull out the hamster body. Gently wrap the paper towels around the hamster's body. Place the wrapped body in a shoebox. Cover the box with the lid. Tape around the opening of the box with masking tape.

    • 4

      Set the box aside. Dig a hole in your back yard. Dig until your hole is at least a foot deep and large enough for the shoe box. Place the shoebox in the ground. Place dirt over the shoebox. Place a remembrance rock on top of the grave.

    Clean the Cage

    • 5

      Remove all toys, food bowls, water bottles and exercise wheels from the cage. Place the items to the side.

    • 6

      Open up a large garbage bag and place the cage inside. Turn the cage upside down. Shake the shavings out of the cage into the garbage bag. Hold the cage up with one hand and scrape the remaining shavings out of the cage.

    • 7

      Take the cage out of the garbage bag. Place the cage on the ground. Squirt dish soap into the cage. Fill it with warm water and sit it in the sun. Let the cage soak for at least 30 minutes.

    • 8

      Dump out the water. Rinse the cage. Add more dish soap to the cage. Wipe it down with a sponge. Wipe the outside and the inside of the cage. Rinse it once more until all the soap is gone.

    • 9

      Pour half a cup of bleach in the cage. Add water to the very top of it. Place the cage in the sun for a couple of hours. This kills any bacteria or viruses in the cage. Dump out the bleach and water. Rinse the cage twice. Place it back in the sun for two days.

    • 10

      Scrub the cage lid with bleach and water. Rinse and dry the lid. Place the lid in the sun for two days.

    • 11

      Place warm water and half a cup of bleach in a large bucket. Add the food bowls, water bottle exercise wheel and toys. Let the items sit in the bleach water for 30 minutes. Remove all items from the bleach water. Dry each one thoroughly with a clean cloth. Place items in the sun for two days.

    • 12

      Place all items in the cage and store away.