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    Categories: Hamsters

Best 10 Ways, Can hamsters swim? Updated 2021

Can hamsters swim?

Most of the pets are fond of water and they like to be in the water. Also, for most of the pets you have to take care of their bathing too. But, when we buy a hamster we basically do not ponder about these things. Can hamsters swim? To answer this question you have to understand the relationship between a hamster and water.

So what to do if our hamster is extremely dirty after playing in the sand or what if he really wants to go into the water when there is scorching heat? Naturally, hamsters are present in warmer regions and according to the research they are capable of swimming.

However, this does not mean that they are natural swimmers and they can be in water for several hours. In the wild, they only swim in large water only if they accidentally fall in them. They try to get out of the water as soon as possible. 

There are some potential risks that are attached with hamsters while being in the water:

  1. Water is the potential agent that can strip out the natural oils of the hamster and it will cause difficulty in grooming.
  2. If the hamster is exposed to water for longer periods, it can develop severe pneumonia that can be fatal.
  3. Unwanted sessions in water may be stressful for the hamster and it will develop the biting habit.
  4. Your hamster is also at the risk of developing a disease called “wet tail” that can also be fatal.
  5. Longer water sessions can also result in developing a disease called hypothermia, in which the hamster becomes unable to regulate their body temperature.

What to do if a hamster gets wet?

If a hamster gets wet there are some abrupt actions that you have to take, and these are the following:

  1. Take a towel to remove the excess of the water.
  2. Make sure the cage of the hamster is exposed to heat.
  3. Get the aid of a hairdryer to dry the water from the hamster.
  4. Keep an eagle eye on the hamster for the next week and observe if you see any signs of a disease.
  5. If you observe sneezing, diarrhea, or vomiting immediately contact a vet.

Hamsters are popular pets all over the world. They belong to the family rodents, and the best species of the hamster in the world is the Syrian or Golden hamster. The owners who are keen to keep hamsters as pets always struggle to get this one because it is quite expensive and rare, but this species makes lovely pets. As a beginner hamster owner, you may struggle with several things like diet, shelter, and when you are giving a bath to your hamster, you must have asked yourself this question Can hamsters swim?

While you have hamsters as pets, keep in mind which species you can handle and how you are going to maintain taking care of hamsters. While selecting a pet, you must be educated about it. The young hamsters are not so rigid and learn fast, and thus, they can be trained easily while the older hamsters are tough to handle, and as they have learned many things in their small memories, so it is hard to induce new things hence they are hard to train. 

Can hamsters swim? And do they like swimming?

If you ask someone this question, can hamsters swim? They will reply to you with a ‘no,,’ but if you research a bit about their anatomy, you will learn that they can swim. Being mammals, it is not unlikely for hamsters too to swim, but the thing is they don’t prefer it or don’t do it just because they like it. Swimming can be very harmful sometimes to hamsters. 

In their natural habitats, hamsters are inhabited in arid and mostly cold environments; hence it is not their instinct to go into the water and get wet. 

Can hamsters swim? Yes, they can, as I have mentioned above, but to force them into the water even when they are not up to it can be very dangerous for your hamsters. It can bring a lot of stress to them, and they can get panicked. This panic can ultimately cause many problems like stress issues and can even affect the immune system of your hamster. By the time it will get weaker, and your hamster will become an easy chore for many diseases. 

Also, if you put your hamsters in freezing water and for a very long time or in other words if your hamster is wet for very long periods and there is no one to make an effort for it to get it dry they can even suffer from fatal forms of pneumonia and colds. 

Can hamsters swim? Keeping your hamsters in water either forcefully or either in their will extract out all the essential oils which are necessary for the shine and maintenance of the coat. Extraction of the oils results in ultimate chills, which are very harmful to hamsters. 

You may have witnessed several videos in which you see hamsters swimming, but you should know how many unlikes these videos get. Such people who are unaware or are aware and still do such cruel activities should be banned. But what to do? In these videos, you may have also noticed that as soon as the owner puts the hamster in the pool or bathtub, the hamster immediately gets panicked. As a result of that panic, the hamster usually tries to get out of the water. For this purpose, it works to move towards the edges. It is evident from such kinds of videos that these cute creatures are not fond of water at all and what people presume as swimming is not swimming rather than it is an escape. 

Can hamsters swim? Just because other pets or animals do prefer an activity, it is not likely that your pet will like that too. The same principle goes for the hamsters. 

When you own a pet, there is a responsibility for you to take care of it and know everything related to it because it is just like a family member. It is your utmost duty to maintain all the necessary things that a particular pet would have in its natural habitat. You have to recreate that environment for the healthy nurturing of your pet.

Can hamsters swim? Yes, they can, but you shouldn’t do it at all. Hamsters are little creatures of God, and you should not put them in any such situation, which puts their mental and physical health at risk. 

Can hamsters swim in water?

Hamsters are rodents. Their natural environment is dry, and they don’t like to get wet. So to put them forcefully in water will damage their mental and physical health a lot. 

Also, water and getting wet can cause them a lot of damage and make them susceptible to many diseases like lung diseases and severe flu due to chills. 

Can hamsters swim? They won’t swim; you will observe them floating over the water, and even then, they are in a state of panic, fear, and hurry. 

Hamsters’ natural habitats are dry and warm like deserts, and they can be dry and cold as well. In both of the conditions, they don’t have to get in the water or to learn swimming because they do not need it. So, they don’t even feel a need to groom themselves with water even. They can swim, but they shouldn’t be doing this. 

Reasons why they should not be in water:

Putting your hamster forcefully in the water is not suitable for its physical and mental health. If you are doing this, then stop because you are putting your pet in great danger. The following are reasons why you should not put your hamster in the water.

Hamsters Poor stress management:

Hamsters are not welcoming to change. They hate it; therefore, they are susceptible.. So for getting your hamster wet is a big no-no. Apart from the physical risks, the emotional and mental issues alone can contribute to their death. They cannot handle any shock. 

Even if they survive after such brutal activities, your hamster will not be the same. It will not be as happy and active as it was before. It will remain shy, inactive, and scared. So putting your hamsters in water is a brutal activity. 

Hamsters Poor capability to fight viruses and diseases:

Due to shock and emotional instability during the swimming process if the hamster affects its mental health, which is ultimately harmful to its physical health. These shocks and chills make the immune system of any hamster very weak even if they are of an excellent and rare breed. Hence there are more chances for your hamster to get ill.

Can hamsters swim? No, they should not. You shouldn’t be making such efforts that put their immune system at stake, although you should promote such activities that strengthen them. 

Hamsters Dry out the coat:

As their natural habitat is arid; therefore, their coat produces natural oils to keep the moisture intact in their coats. These oils make their jacket waterproof and also helps them to maintain the shine, thickness, and overall volume of their skins. 

But when you put them in the water, all their natural oils get pulled out of the coat. As the oils are no more there, the skin is no more serving its purpose, and hence it cannot keep the hamster warm. 

Hamsters Harmful diseases:

When the hamsters are in the water, they get chills and shocks, which are very bad for them and can make them very sick., do you want to know about what is name suet for your pet hamsters.

When you make them wet, you may don’t know this, but this is equal to the same effect when our body produces sweat. As a result of chills, hamsters are more prone to catching a cold and even pneumonia. 

It doesn’t matter if you even dry them afterward (means they are not wet). The oils which were present in its coat to keep him warm are extracted out, and hence they will suffer even after even when they are dried out. 

Hygiene necessary for hamsters:

Like all the other rodent members, the hamsters are also very clean, and they love to keep them as well as their fellow members clean too. Their cleanliness is not only confined to themselves, but they also keep their homes clean. 

Hamsters at a young age can be trained for litter, and hence they are easy to keep as pets. Hamsters don’t need much direct pampering from you. When you put them in the water for cleaning purposes, you are destroying their natural cleaning mechanisms. Can hamsters swim? They can but don’t allow them. Please! 

Can dwarf hamsters swim?

Any hamster of any breed does not love water, and hence it is not okay to put them in the water. Dwarf hamsters like other hamsters love to groom themselves, and by putting them in the water, you are interfering. Despite a traditional water bath, they love to have a sand bath. As compared to the giant Syrian hamsters dwarf hamsters are more fond of sand baths. You should use a safe sand option like chinchilla for your pet hamster. Forgiving your hamster a nice sand bath use a solid ceramic bowl.

Can syrian hamsters swim?

Syrian hamsters are the best breed among the hamsters. They are large and are easily adaptable as compared to other hamsters. But as far as swimming is not concerned, it is not okay for any kind of hamster either it is a dwarf hamster or a Syrian hamster. They can be trained for litter and can be prepared to be held, but putting them in water will pose them threats, which can prove fatal for them as well—putting them in water results in poor shock management which leads to a panic which reduces their ability to fight the attacking diseases.

Can baby hamsters swim?

Even if you are very fond of baby hamsters and it is hard to put the will aside to hold them but be aware of the fact that you should not keep them in the first two weeks after their birth. In this period, the mother hamster becomes so sensitive, and it will do anything to ensure the safety of their young ones. She will perceive any intruding party as a predator, even if it is her owner. If you don’t avoid this, the condition can become extreme. The mother’s hamster can also eat up her babies. So don’t even think about the swimming of baby hamsters.

Can hamsters swim in a bowl?

As hamsters are mammals so they can swim, but they would not do it because it’s not in their genetics. They always have lived in dry environments, and they groom themselves without water. Putting your hamster even in a bowl will create panic as they don’t accept changes quickly, and it will start to move towards the corner to save himself and to get free of the situation. So never do such an activity which is harmful to your pet or can even harm them a bit.

Can hamsters swim in water?

Hamsters are not swimmers. They don’t like it though they can swim, they would not prefer it, so don’t force them to this. Getting wet is not even in their least priorities because getting wet is detrimental to their mental as well as physical health. Chills and getting colds are common threats. They can also catch any fatal disease, and I am sure you don’t want to put your pet at stake at any cost. So swimming is not a thing for hamsters.