hammies & sand

[hamstermoo]

so i heard hammies will roll around playfully in chinchilla sand....so instead of buying it and having to set it up i was thinking of bringing my hamster to the beach...does anyone know whether this will have the same effect?

[Zouave]

so i heard hammies will roll around playfully in chinchilla sand....so instead of buying it and having to set it up i was thinking of bringing my hamster to the beach...does anyone know whether this will have the same effect?

I hope you're joking. I really do. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[hamstermoo]

no....i'm not. if hammies like sand, then they should roll around in any type right?

[LilSnooPydOG]

:headshake
There's so much crap in sand, no way is it safe. The next safest thing from Chinchilla sand is regular play sand, but even that needs to be sterilized first.

[Jiffykat]

Certain kinds of sand are more coarse and will hurt the hamster skin and tear their fur. Also, are you aware of how easy it would be to lose your hamster at the beach? And how unsanitary that sand would be? Depending on what kind of sand it is at the beach, you could maybe bring some home and sanitize it to use for your hamster.

[TobyRat]

Oh gosh no! Terrified is all your hammie will be. The sand at the beach is dirty and unsafe! Usually only dwarfs will go in sand anyway, but if you do want to try it buy sand specifically for small animals.

[hamstermoo]

tear their fur? i really doubt the sand would do that...im talkgin about california sand. of course i was planning to take him to the cleanest private beach in laguna beach that i know of...and of course i would have to watch him like a hawk so he doesnt burrow away...i think it will be fine...theyre pretty resilient animals

[Jiffykat]

Oh dear, wait until Z reads your response, he is not going to be happy.

[hamstermoo]

haha i really dont see anything bad happening...

[Cammiehammie]

Have a good time at the beach! Dont forget the sunblock lotion, and shades. Eh, maybe Barbie ones will fit the lil ham. If you do go I would go in the evening. Good Luck, and I to cant wai to go to the shore.

[LilSnooPydOG]

It doesn't matter if it's "California sand", sand is sand. You don't know what's in it, whether it be glass or other disgusting things. Your hamster doesn't need the sand, but if you really want them to roll in it, buy the chinchilla sand. There's really nothing to set up...just buy the sand and pour it in an empty jar or something. MUCH safer than dirty beach sand.

[TobyRat]

Ok, he is NOT going to want to roll in the sand, he will just want to run. California beach sand is just like any other beach sand. Sand is rough, ALL sand. It can rub and irratate your hammie. It's also VERY hard to get out of fur! I take my dog to the beach sometimes and the sand in his fur is a big pain to wash out. You can not give your hamster a bath either, making the whole experience cruel. And it is DIRTY, people walk on it, other animals walk on it, and a whole bunch of other icky stuff lives in it. It's horribly pointless and risky. Leave your hamster home and go with your friends instead.

[Jiffykat]

That is jut plain old CRUEL. Your hammie will most likely be absolutely terrified and it will get dirty. Hamsters are terrified of water so you won't be able to wash him/her to get her clean and it will haev to clean itself up and possibly get sick from whatever is in its fur.