Hamster Cages

Creating a comfortable environment for your pet hamster requires little more than a cardboard box, an aquarium or hamster cage, some wood shavings for bedding, and a few toys. If you own one of the smaller varieties of hamster (e.g. a Chinese hamster), an aquarium may be sufficient to provide ventilation, play room, and opportunities for burrowing. If you own multiple hamsters, or if you own one of the larger Syrian (honey-colored) pets, you may want to opt for a dedicated cage with bars and places to climb.

Some cages come with floor grates that are ostensibly provided to help train hamsters to climb and improve dexterity. However, pet owners suggest that these grates are by and large uncomfortable for their little charges. If you install plastic fun tubes for your hamsters to run through, always be on lookout for escapes.

Hamsters have powerful jaws, and they are able to nibble their way through tubing and escape into the environment. If you have a house cat or other potentially predatory pets, you may want to keep your hamster cage in a separate, isolated room. You also may want to instruct young children about the do’s and don’t’s of hamster play. Since startled animals can bite (usually harmless but painful), pet experts recommend that parents socialize hamsters and children to one another gradually.

It may take four weeks or more for hamsters to get used to human contact. Finally, ensure a hospitable cage environment by changing the bedding regularly. Provide food and water in “no tip” containers, and pay attention to any abrupt changes in behavior or appearance.

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