Tip
Wash and rinse your hamster's water bottle often.
Save a couple of extra water bottles for quick replacements.
Make this bottle before you need it, and set it aside as a spare.
Undoubtedly, hamsters are irresistibly adorable and full of personality. Aside from the cuteness factor, which hamster lovers might agree borders on colossal, these little balls of fluff share another common trait. They are chewing machines. Their teeth grow continuously throughout their lifetime, and anything in their cage is fair game, including their water bottle. If your little guy's bottle is damaged by chewing, or springs a leak, a DIY water bottle provides an affordable replacement.
Step 1
Mark the center of the inside of the water bottle's cap, using the Sharpie.
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Step 2
Using the large nail and the hammer, pierce the cap at the Sharpie mark. Place the cap on a surface that won't be damaged if the nail goes through the cap.
Step 3
Replace the cap on the water bottle.
Step 4
Drill through the cap at the starter hole using the power drill and 1/4-inch drill bit. Drill slowly, holding the bottle securely.
Step 5
Remove the cap.
Step 6
Attach the rubber stopper to the outside of the cap, using the silicone. Make sure the hole in the bottle lines up with the hole in the stopper.
Step 7
Allow the silicone to cure. This may take a couple of days.
Step 8
Insert the plastic tubing into the rubber stopper until the plastic tubing is flush with the hole in the stopper. Bend the tubing similar to the angle of a commercial hamster water bottle.
Step 9
Wash and rinse the water bottle well, making sure to dislodge any pieces of plastic cap that might remain. Dry the outside of the bottle.
Step 10
Wrap the 12 gauge wire around the water bottle a couple of inches up from the bottom of the water bottle. Try to do this at the center point of the 2 feet of wire. If your water bottle is ridged -- this type of bottle will work best -- make sure the wire is in the ridge. Twist the wire a few times where the two pieces meet.
Step 11
Fill the bottle with clean water and replace top.
Step 12
Invert the bottle and hang on the inside of the hamster's tank with the plastic tubing facing in toward the center of the tank. Bend the wire over the edge of the tank to hold it in place and clip off any excess wire with the wire cutters. Make sure the bottle isn't hanging too low in the tank. If the bottle is positioned too low, water may seep into your hamster's bedding.
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