Overgrown nails can cause many problems for hamsters including the inability to eat and undertake daily activities such as grooming without experiencing significant pain. Getting your hamsters’ nails trimmed regularly can also minimize the risk of physical injuries to themselves and their cage mates.

Hamster nail trimming toys function by filing the pocket rodent’s nails naturally via physical contact. As hamsters go about their daily activities, these toys make physical contact which slowly but surely files the growing nails off naturally.

The toys can work amazingly well in keeping your little guy’s nails length at healthy levels. While many hamster owners cut their furry pals’ nails on their own, trimming toys can get the job done without the need for manual intervention.

Why Should My Hamster’s Nails Stay Short?

Pet hamsters’ nails should be kept short for their own good because longer nails can be bad for them. Here are a variety of reasons why hamsters’ nails should not be allowed to overgrow:

Curved in Nail Discomfort

A hamster’s nails often curve inwards when allowed to overgrow causing lots of pain for the little guy. The long nails may even begin growing inwards towards the paws resulting in unbearable discomfort and an often grumpy demeanor.

Painful Grooming

Hamsters maintain good hygiene through self-grooming but this can become impossible when the nails are allowed to grow too long. Self-grooming typically becomes painful for your furry friends due to the overgrown nails making the act of reaching for their fur during cleaning more difficult.

The pain can become so severe that they may give up on self-grooming altogether.

What Are The Best Hamster Nail Trimming Toys?

There are multiple options available for sale and each one can do a good job as long as it is put to proper use. If your hamster’s nails grow at a quick rate, we recommend getting a couple of these toys at vantage areas of the cage to keep the growth in check.

Bendy Bridges

Hamsters love playing with bendy bridges which should be laid just in front of litter boxes, running tunnels, and other accessories for maximum results. Typically made from wood and other natural materials, the bridges can provide good hiding places for pet rodents.

Wooden Bendy Bridges are often chewed by hamsters too. The acts of climbing, chewing, and playing with these toys can be a great natural way to keep nails trimmed especially when they’re set up such that one makes a ramp leading to a second level.

Many hamster parents report amazing results for trimming hamsters’ nails and you should probably try them too.

Sandbath

Sandbaths are a popular source of entertainment for hamsters especially when boredom kicks in. Regular water baths can be quite stressful for them but sand baths ensure proper grooming to eliminate body odors and maintain good health.

Natural nail trimming is one of the additional benefits hamsters derive from sand baths. The process of playing in the sand for extended periods typically keeps the little guy’s nails short.

Lava Rock

Lava Rocks can offer natural nail trimming opportunities for hamsters. These large rocks often make physical contact with the pocket rodents’ nails each time they climb them. Some hamsters are naturally drawn to this toy which can make the trimming process easy without much effort on your part.

However, if your furry pal refuses to go near these rocks, it is time to get creative in where they’re placed. Positioning the rock directly underneath the water bottle in the cage can be a great idea. The pocket rodent is forced to climb it every time he needs to drink water leading to effective nail trimming in the process. (Source)

Garden Center

Garden centers are popular among hamster parents looking for effective toys to trim their pet rodent’s nails. These popular toys offer solid artificial hideouts in the cage or breeder tank and often, your furry friend may end up spending more time in there.

Hiding, playing, and engaging in other physical activities inside garden centers may keep hamsters’ nails short naturally.

Sandpaper

Some hamster parents leave sandpaper in their pet rodent’s cages to aid in nail trimming. While the harsh texture of sandpaper may help achieve that result, it can be quite rough on the hamster’s paws, causing physical injuries that may lead to Bumblefoot disease.

Hamsters may also tear bits off the sandpaper and try to chew them or even hide them in their cheek pouches.

Wooden Branches

Pet rodents typically enjoy chewing and playing with natural wooden branches from trees such as apples and pears. You can buy these wooden branches from Amazon or make DIY branches with wood derived from your backyard garden.

Either way, playing with these branches can help keep the pocket rodent’s nails short apart from the numerous entertainment benefits.

Wooden Wheels

Exercise wheels are a favorite among hamsters as it allows constant running for as long as they can. These wheels typically feature natural, untreated wood minimizing the risks of exposure to toxic chemicals. Wooden wheels can also keep the nails of hamsters short as the constant running inadvertently limits nail growth.

Unfortunately, the majority of wooden hamster wheels on the market are large-sized which can make them unsuitable for dwarf hamsters. Wooden wheels are probably the most effective nail trimming toys due to the sheer amount of time hamsters spend running on them.

How do I Know My Hamster’s Nails Are Too Long?

A quick glance at the hamster’s nails is all that is required to confirm that they’re overgrown. The claws often begin to curl sideways or fold inwards when the length gets out of hand requiring trimming as soon as possible.

It is always a good idea to introduce nail trimming toys early before excessive nail growth instead of the other way round.

What to Do If Your Hamster Still Has Overgrown Nails After Introducing Nail Trimming Toys?

Sometimes, all attempts at getting your hamster’s nails filed naturally through trimming toys may fail. Manual nail trimming becomes the next best option to keep the little guy’s nails at healthy lengths.

You can hold the hamster in your hands and trim the long nails with a trimmer or small scissors depending on which option you’re more comfortable with. Hamsters may seem a bit distressed during the process because they’re probably not used to it but try to soldier on to get the job done.

Offering a tasty treat immediately after can provide reassurance of your love and dedication. If you despise the idea of cutting the long nails by yourself, you could always take your beloved hamster to a vet to get them trimmed.

Conclusion: Best Hamster Nail Trimming Toys

Hamster nail trimming toys such as Wooden Wheels, Lava Rocks, and bendy bridges can be vital to preventing long nails in these pet rodents. The toys naturally file the little guy’s nails through daily physical contact to prevent overgrowing.

The nail filing process is often gradual when these toys are used and fortunately, the hamster’s nails are often trimmed at their blind side.