Things You'll Need
- Gravity-fed water bottle with nipple
- Water dish
Instructions
Place a water-filled, gravity-fed water bottle with a nipple in your hamster's cage. Use human quality drinking water in the bottle. Give the hamster some time to begin drinking out of it.
Check the water bottle to make sure that it is functioning properly if your hamster has not been drinking out of it after a few hours. Make sure that the ball-bearing is turning smoothly and that water is able to easily flow out of it. If there is a problem with the bottle, return it to the store or replace it with a new bottle.
Place a water dish in the hamster's cage if the hamster is not drinking out of the working water bottle after a day. Use a small, heavy dish that the hamster can easily access but will not tip over. Fill it with human quality drinking water.
Add a drink that contains electrolytes, such as children's drinks, to the hamster's water dish if the hamster is not drinking out of it after another day. Use half children's drink and half water. If the hamster continues not to drink the water mixture after a few hours, call your vet and make an appointment, as the hamster might be sick.