Water bowl
With a water bowl you do little wrong with your hamster. The shallow design comes closest to natural water sources and allows your hamster easy access to the water. With a bowl, he won’t overstretch his neck or back.
Water dish material
You have a wide range of choices when it comes to the material used for the water bowl. In the end, you can use almost any small bowl - glass, ceramic, porcelain or plastic.
However, you should be very careful with plastic in a hamster cage. Many plastics contain toxic ingredients that can be dangerous to our little rodents. In addition, you should remove the plastic bowl immediately as soon as you discover bite marks - if your hamster swallows small parts of the bowl, death by suffocation is imminent!
Hygiene
Generally, water bottles have a reputation for being less hygienic than water bottles. The thought comes from the fact that more of the water surface is in contact with the air and your hamster can more quickly carry litter and dirt into the bowl.
However, both of these things can be solved quickly, you just need to change the water more often and clean the bowl regularly. However, since the barrel volume of the small bowl is less than that of water bottles anyway, frequent refilling of water is not much of a problem.
Design
You also have almost free reign when it comes to the design. There are two things you should pay particular attention to. First, the rim should not be too high; your hamster should be able to look over the rim and drink comfortably. Finally, your hamster should always stay dry.
Secondly, a shallow depth of water is recommended. Especially small hamster species are in danger of drowning even with what at first glance appears to be a small amount of water. Always remember: The small rodents often come from very dry areas!
Bowls with a small rim facing inwards have also proved their worth. This prevents the water from splashing out of the bowl (especially with larger hamster breeds).
Water bottles
For water bottles in hamster cages speaks especially the higher amount of water. Due to less contact with oxygen, the bottle also reduces bacterial growth. But you also have to pay attention to a few things with the bottles.
Attachment
The water bottle must be installed in such a way that your hamster does not have to climb or crawl to reach the water. An incorrectly installed water bottle will quickly lead to neck and spine problems.
For mesh cages, you can best attach the water bottle directly to the mesh to adjust the height. For other types of cages, simply stick a piece of Velcro on the bottle and one on the side of the cage - you can easily adjust the height and at the same time remove and reattach the bottle.
Type
Water bottles are also available with and without a ball at the end of the mouthpiece. The ball is to prevent water from accidentally spilling out of the bottle. In practice, however, such balls quickly get wedged and block the way to the water. So always make sure that the water flows well out of the bottle, preferably 1x a day!
Hygiene
At first glance, water bottles seem more hygienic than water bowls. However, you still have to make sure that the water is changed regularly and that the bottle is cleaned. Especially the second one is tricky. You should never put the bottle in the dishwasher, for cleaning it is best to use a set of pipe cleaners. With these you can easily get into the bottle and remove deposits.