Since your hamster will be spending the most of its time within its cage, it is crucial to have the correct size cage for them to reside in. Your hamster’s cage is perhaps the most significant investment you’ll make in caring after these small critters. The appropriate cage for your hamster should be simple to clean, big, and roomy enough for them to run about in, and of course, escape-proof!
Hamsters are incredibly energetic creatures — they may run 5-8 miles a night in the wild! — and the size of the cage you choose is possibly the most crucial element. That being said, there are numerous other crucial elements to consider other than size, all of which may have a huge impact on the health and happiness of your hamster family.
In this post, we’ll look at how to determine the correct cage size for your hamster, as well as some other crucial aspects to consider.
Before You Start
Over 20 hamster varieties exist, but only three are commonly kept as pets: the hamster, the tortoise, and the tortoiseshell. Make sure you know that hamsters of different sexes and different species should not be kept together, and that they will likely fight as well. The hamsters will do better in smaller, individual cages in this situation. Hamsters come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and each one requires a different amount of room and cage space. Syrian, dwarf, and Chinese hamsters are the most popular pet hamster species.
The first step is to determine the minimum size requirements.
Syrian Hamsters
 |
| Syrian Hamsters |
Syrian Hamsters need a minimum of 900 square inches of floor area per hamster. Roughly 40 by 20 inches and about 10 inches of bedding depth is common for most cages. Aside from that, you should always go for more space than you think is necessary. A minimum of 24 inches in height is required to accommodate the bedding and a small wheel. It's always preferable to be taller than smaller.
Dwarf and Chinese Hamsters
Despite their diminutive size, Chinese and Dwarf Hamsters still need a lot of room to run around. It is recommended that a hamster be given at least 700 square inches of area on the floor, or 40 by 15 inches. Another thing to keep in mind is that the height should be at least 24 inches, and they'll need at least 6-8 inches of bedding space.
It's important to remember that these are really basic recommendations; the more room your hamsters have, the happier they'll be. For hamsters that don't want to be taken out of their cage and for those whose cage will include a lot of wheels and other toys, this is very important.
Cage Types — This is the second step.
The size of the cage you choose for your hamsters will depend on the kind of cage you have in mind. Hamster cages come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. For the most part, the cage's material, ventilation, cleaning ease, and substrate appropriateness are the most significant aspects.
Wire Cage The most popular kind of hamster cage is a wire or mesh cage, which is readily accessible. Because they are chew-proof, ventilated, and simple to clean, they are an excellent choice. If you're looking for a way to keep your hamster happy and healthy, you may want to consider a hamster burrow. In addition, the bedding and substrate may easily be pulled out of the wire sides, resulting in a messy situation.
Tank with a wire-mesh lid. For hamsters, these designs are definitely the best choice. With a plastic or glass base and a wire or mesh top that can be removed and replaced, they provide a lot of room for burrowing and substrate. As a result, they provide the best of both worlds in terms of ventilation, cleanliness, and escape resistance.
You may also say "vivarium." In spite of the fact that aquariums aren't specifically designed for hamsters, they may be utilized to house them. To allow your hamster to burrow to his or her heart's content, they're often constructed of glass or Perspex and have a mesh top. Even with a mesh top, these tanks have very little ventilation. As a result of their weight, they are cumbersome to transport and to clean.
Step 3 — Determine the Location of the Cage
The size you pick will be influenced by where you intend to keep your hamster. Larger cages will have fewer alternatives for placement and will be more difficult to move around. Natural sunshine, night and day cycles, air circulation, and temperature management are all required. The cage should ideally be placed on a table above the floor, near a window for ventilation and sunshine, in a closed room for temperature management, and away from other animals such as cats and dogs.
The cage should never be put in direct sunlight since it may rapidly heat up your hamsters, but it should have enough indirect sunlight to keep them comfortable and alert them to natural day and night cycles.
Step 4: Additions
Species-specific minimum cage sizes should not be the only factor to be taken into account. A happy hamster's well-being depends on the capacity to utilize their natural impulses in the same way as they would in the wild. Hamsters have a strong need to forage and are naturally energetic.
You need to add objects that will encourage them to express their natural tendencies in their cage, which should enable them to do so. A variety of substrates, like wood and sand baths, will keep them active and stimulate their senses, as well as provide them with a variety of textures to investigate. Because of their weak vision, hamsters will benefit greatly from the diversity of textures and fragrances provided by this habitat.
A "house inside a home" for hamsters is also a great way to give them a little privacy. You'll also need additional room if your hamsters are living together. In order to choose the correct sized cage for your pet hamster, you'll need to account for the additional room these accessories take up.
Conclusions
Choosing the correct hamster cage size involves a number of crucial considerations. Hamsters need a certain amount of room to be happy and healthy, as well as the right accessories to keep their cages from becoming too crowded. Your hamster's cage has to be big enough to fit your hamster, but also big enough to provide tunnels, wheels, and burrowing substrate. Finally, the more hamsters you have, the more difficult it will be to clean the cage, so keep this in mind when purchasing a bigger cage.