My new hamster isn't drinking water. What can I do to make him drink?

Thanks for reaching out about Daabool and including a photo. Hamsters are desert animals, highly capable of extracting water from their food. Biting is a common fear response in hamsters, and continuing to earn/win trust by offering treats, keeping movements slow and deliberate. Try removing Daabool from his environment with a scoop or cup, to move to a neutral territory (i.e. table top). Then see if interactions are aggressive. Sometimes its just territorial defense. Good luck.

Hamsters don't drink a lot of water in general so I don't think this is pathological if everything else seems normal. Keeping a high water intake is always good for the kidneys so continue to give them the damp veggies. You can also give them berries and fruits which have a naturally high water content. You could also try a water bowl and mix in something tasty like fruit juice (make sure to get the organic and unsweetened variety). I hope this answers your questions!

Short answer yes. Hamsters may suffer from a condition called “wet tail” which usually manifest itself with watery stools. Because their body doesn't absorb water properly they tend to drink a lot. This condition is usually fatal if not treated ASAP. Of course there could be many more reasons for a hamster to suddenly drink more (like change of food or kidney problems) but “wet tail” is the most common condition to cause this symptom. I would advice to take him to the vet, the sooner the better. Food luck!

If you are feeding a lot of greens, cucumber, bits of fruit, etc, it is likely that GuaGua will not drink because she is getting enough moisture from the fresh food. Hamsters are steppe animals which do not have a very large requirement for water. So if your hamster is lively and happy and eats her greens and other food, then I would not worry too much about her actually drinking water. Just make sure there is fresh water available at all times.

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Cupcake's troubles. Syrian hamsters are considered geriatric at 2 years of age. They can develop kidney issues or other illnesses that may make them sick. He may be displaying the odd behavior because he isn't feeling well. I would take him in to see a veterinarian who handles and treats hamsters to see if he needs medical attention. You can also try the water bottle again and maybe get a smaller on that he can't use to climb out of his cage. Or reinforce the cage in that area to make it harder for him to escape. Best of luck!

You can try changing the water bowl type to see if it encourages her to drink. Some birds also like drip waterers (that would be similar to using the paintbrush, only she could do it on her own), or even waters that have a sort of sieve that can be drank from rather than a dish. Peruse the [bird waterers](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/bird/waterers-and-feeders-for-birds) offered on the Petco website. You may be able to find something to use instead fo the brush.

Thank you for using PetCoach. It is important to remember that hamsters are nocturnal animals. That means the majority of eating drinking and activity will be done at night. She is also stressed by the change in habitat and abnormal activity. Try to minimize handling for the next few days, especially during the day time when she should be asleep. Here are some articles that may give you some more information. If she is not active at night or eating or drinking, then I would recommend a veterinary visit tomorrow. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/owning-a-pet-hamster https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/owning-a-pet-hamster https://bellevueanimalhospital.com/veterinary-services/exotic-avian/hamsters/ https://lafeber.com/vet/basic-information-for-hamsters/ https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/hamster-basic-info-sheet.pdf