| How to Pick the Right Hamster Cage

A hamster cage should be the first accessory you buy for your new furry pet.  We will discuss the importance of picking the right cage for the various types of hamsters available.  Picking the wrong cage could actually endanger your hamster.

To begin with be aware of the size of the commonly available types of hamsters. The dwarf hamster and Roborovski hamsters are very small in size. Their cousin, the Syrian hamster, is much larger.  These sizes form the basis for choosing your cage type.

Wooden cages are not desirable since hamsters are chewing animals and could gnaw their way out of the cage.  So stick with cages made of glass, metal, or plastic.  The smaller dwarfs and Roborovski hamsters can potentially slip between the bars of a metal cage.  So if you opt for a metal cage for these little guys be sure to get one with minimal bar spacing. A better choice would probably be glass or plastic.  This would be particularly true if you breed them because the babies are really tiny.  A glass cage is just basically an aquarium.  If you choose an aquarium be sure to cover the top with a wire mesh for good ventilation.  Keep any cage away from air drafts and direct sunlight.  Each of these can kill a hamster.  An aquarium can be set up to make it virtually impossible for your pets to escape.  This hamster cage also offers good visibility for you and your little friends. The disadvantage of an aquarium is that is difficult to attach things like a water bottle or an exercise wheel.  Velcro strips should be useful here.  Also cleaning the cage is more difficult since all the contents must be removed.

For smaller animals there are dwarf hamster cages made of a combination of clear and colored plastics.  These can be a great choice.  Many contain clear plastic tubes that lead of to other compartments and hideaways giving your animals a place to explore.  Some are available in a modular style that allows you to add on or modify the cage and provide a changing environment.  One brand of large hamster cage is the Rotastak hamster cage offering complex compartments, tubes, and passageways.

The cage requirements for the larger Syrian hamster are much simpler. One potential problem is that the larger animal could get stuck in the tubes of a tube type cage. Be especially careful to choose one with large diameter tubes or no tubes at all.  Beyond this issue the Syrian hamster can be happy in most any cage.

Hamster Cage

Popularity: 3% [?]