Gifted. Having a pet is a lovely experience for children and adults. It’s not only a way to teach responsibility it is also therapeutic. Hamsters are one of the most popular pet choices. They can be great as a starter pet to teach responsibility and are really fun to watch as they wander about exploring and playing. To ensure your hamster is happy in their home it is important to consider the size of their cage. You can find all sorts of different types of hamster cages on the market but there are certain things you need to consider when choosing the right cage for your hamster. In this post, we look at what to look for so you can choose the right cage for your hamster to make sure that your little furball has a fun home to play in and the best possible life.
Choose the Right Cage for Your Hamster
What to Consider When Choosing A Hamster Cage
In nature, hamsters run around a lot. They may travel up to 5 and a half miles a night. When you consider the size of them you realise that is a considerable amount. Hamsters vary in size depending on their breed and this can affect how suitable a cage will be for them. Here we look at the things you need to consider when selecting a hamster cage for your pet.
Hamster Size / Cage Size
The size of the hamster will influence the type of cage you might consider. There are some great cages out there but obviously, those are not suitable for all hamsters. When choosing a cage for your pet hamster you need to make sure you opt for one of the larger cages available to give them the opportunity to roam around more. No matter what breed of hamster you buy, the bigger the cage the better. You are looking at a cage with a minimum size of 450 square inches according to some sites but those that care about their pet’s mental health will allow for something larger.
Roborovski Hamsters (Robo)
Smaller hamsters, for example, Roborovski hamsters are not suited to some cages with metal bars especially when younger as they can squeeze through the gaps. These hamsters may also not be able to reach tube entrances due to their height without something to use to stand on. For the smaller hamsters like the Roborovski’s, it’s best to go for a large one-level cage with a large deep base that you can fill with bedding materials. This way they have plenty of space to run around and also to tunnel. You can however use cages with more than one level provided that walkways are easy to access and suitable for their tiny paws and short legs to walk over. Avoid cages with metal staircases as they can slip through the rungs of the ladder far easier and may injure themselves in a panic to get free.
Russian Dwarf Hamsters
These are larger than Robo hamsters but just as adorable. They will need a nice big cage but are more able to cope with a larger range of cage types. I personally don’t like the wire cages with metal wire ladders leading up to the higher levels. They are not quite as easy to negotiate for these types of hamsters as well as the Robos. You have a wider range of cage options from plastic, wood, wire topped, and even glass cages.
Syrian Hamsters
Larger hamsters like the Syrian hamsters will try to escape from just about anything. The most important thing with these hamsters is they need the largest cage you can get. By this, I mean length and width rather than height. They need a lot of space and items to keep them busy. Multi-level cages can work as they increase the space they have to run around in. But make sure they are not too high and also make sure you have plenty of bedding everywhere.
Tectake Wooden Hamster Cage
We were approached by OneBuy.com to collaborate on a feature. After looking through the site we asked to review a hamster cage. The cage chosen was the Tactake wooden hamster cage (L95 x W50 x H50cm). Let’s take a look at the cage and why we chose this out of the many different options on the site. Here’s why:
Materials
The wood is organic, you can’t get a more natural material than that. Hamsters will chew on wood so it is important to watch out for type of wood used when opting for a wooden cage. It also helps to have plenty of toys, tunnels, a large wheel, and hamster appropriate soils to keep them busy during their waking hours.
The front of the cage has plexiglass which is perfectly safe for hamsters. It allows you to see into the cage which is great. This way you can watch your hamster when it’s playing, they can be really fun to watch. The plexiglass also means you can set up tunnels at the front of the glass next to this, cover them with bedding and watch your little friend as it goes through the tunnels through the plexiglass. The plexiglass is durable and also light meaning it barely adds any weight to the cage making it that much lighter and easier to move.
The wire grid in the lid is of a good thickness and it’s unlikely that the smaller breeds will be able to bite through this. It is advised that nothing is placed too high up though so that whatever type of hamster you have in the cage can’t reach the top of the cage to bite at the wire but also doesn’t try to climb across the wire. Falling from the top could cause injury, especially if there isn’t much bedding used. We advise filling the bottom with bedding as it’s safer for your hamster and also gives them plenty of space to dig which they love.
Size
One of the main things to consider when you look to choose the right cage for your hamster is the size. The Tectake Goldie Hamster Cage is the perfect size for us and our hamster. It fits in the space we had and is also a nice big cage with a number of floors so our furry friend has a reasonably large space to run around in. This cage is deep enough for us to use the bottom floor for our hamster to have a good area for tunneling. We simply filled the bottom layer with bedding, added some little shelters for him to sleep in, added items to the other levels, and left snowball loose to enjoy his cage.
Comfort
The different floors have a wooden ramp leading to them. The ramps don’t have gaps and also have steps to help your hamster get a good footing whilst running up and down them. These are attached with metal fittings to make sure they are stable. The corner house can be positioned wherever you prefer. Add some bedding and it’s a nice hide hole perfect to sleep in. The cage has adequate ventilation due to the large roof grid. This cage and the levels are nice and spacious. A great option to consider if you want to choose the right cage for your hamster.
What Did We Like About The Cage?
This cage stood out due to its size and design. The box it came in was almost as long as my son!!! We loved that it had multiple layers. We also thought the plexiglass was perfect for the front as it allowed you to see the cage from the side rather than having to stand above the cage to look in above. When you look to choose the right cage for your hamster it is important that it is easy to clean. This cage has a built-in draw base that simply slides out should you wish to use it. We simply spot clean every few days and do a larger clean once a month. It is easy to wipe down the surfaces when bedding is moved away from the section or cleared completely.
I also loved that the inside of the cage is simple to access. Simply lift off the lid and you can do what you need to. It is important to note that with Syrian hamsters as they are larger you might need to make sure you add a suitable weight on top to prevent the hamster from escaping.
The cage is easy to assemble and all parts are secure in their place. They won’t be falling down or knocked out of place.
Overall we loved this cage. It’s perfect for either our Robo or Russian Dwarf hamsters and one we’d recommend for both breeds (provided you fill the bottom floor with bedding).
I hope this post helps you Choose the Right Cage for Your Hamster. What do you like about this cage? Do you have hamsters and if so which breed(s)?
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My grandson has a hamster. I will have to tell him about your suggestion for a cage.
Hopefully the cage he has is already a good size but if not something like this would be better for the hamster.
I love the cages that have the different spouts to separate areas. And of course I would get a ball if I owned a hamster!
I’d suggest a large wheel instead as it’s better for them. Have fun with your hamster if you get one x
This is the perfect read because my son has been begging me to get a hamster! I honestly didn’t realize how much room they need!
I know, it is so much more than people expect but then it really makes a difference to their quality of life.
I remember having a hamster when I was little. That was always so much fun. I love that cage that you have. They’ve come a long way from the ones that just looked like an old bird cage. 🙂 Great tips for when we maybe get one again.
Thank Jamie. I know what you mean. I had hamster years ago too, the cages were so different then.
I have not had a hamster since I was a young child. I used a long terrarium because it had more space than the cage he came in. But he was allowed to run around my room a lot!
That’s great to hear. Sounds like there was plenty of space to run around it for your little furball.
To be honest, I was almost afraid of what hamster enclosure was going to be listed and was so so so relieved to see what you were reviewing. That’s a wonderful size and build for a hamster enclosure and I love that there are levels they can explore. I always feel so sorry for hamsters in enclosures that are too small or can’t provide enough stimulation for them while they’re in there! That’s going to be one happy hammy!
Honestly, we do like to look after our pets. We try to create a more natural environment and the size of this makes a big difference. There are far too many small cages available which are really not appropriate.
Finding a cage that is the right size is important. This is good info to know.
It makes such a difference to these lovely little animals.
Choosing a right cage for your pet is so crucial for their well being. Hamster looks so cute.
You know, I had no idea that there was so much to consider if you were looking for a hamster cage. This is such a great resource.
We are planning to get one for my niece as a gift. She loves hamsters so much. Now I know the perfect cage for her hamster. Thanks for sharing this!
She will be over the moon. They are fun pets to have.
I had hamsters growing up, I looooove hamsters, they’re the cutest ever. I would love to get a couple of cuties, soon i hope.
I used to have a hamster before but back then we didn’t pay much attention to the proper cage for him, we got random. I wonder if he had lived a better life if we were more educated
I had a hamster in my teenage years and just recently gave the cage away via Marketplace! So great when you can find a good one.
I love these! These cages look like a hamster’s paradise, thanks for sharing!
This is such a lovely cage, perfect for the smaller hamsters provided you use enough bedding.
This is a really helpful and very informative post! This is perfect for my son’s new hamster! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Thanks so much. I hope he enjoys playing with his new pet.
These are great recommendations, and I’m sure the hamsters of the world will be more than grateful 😉 I actually love the cage with all those gadgets. Your hamster is one lucky animal.
He is a lucky little guy. We do look after our pets. They really are lovely little things.
Our kids had hamsters when they were young – it was hard though that they only had such short lives
Shopping for all that our new hampster needs is half the fun. Thank you for sharing on how to pick the right cage. That’s one of the most important things.
I had no idea there were so many different types of hamsters. This one looks perfect for your little cutie.
Woah, your cage looks super fancy!! We dont have a hamster but it was fascinating reading this blog post!
It’s a lovely cage. Our furball loves to tunnel in all the bedding we added.
That’s so good that it’s easy to clean as it makes it so feel less like work cleaning it. It looks like such a nice cage x
My friend has a hamster but I don’t know what breed it is. I love this cage that it’s big and hamsters have enough space!
Hhhhmmm….I love how space has been created as much as it possibly can, in spite of the fact that the cage itself, isn’t so big. Very creative, I must say.
These are great recommendations for hamsters. Thanks for sharing these options.
Thank you for sharing this! To have a comfortable cage for our pets is very important.
OMG this wooden cage looks amazing!!! I have never seen one of these before. I used to have hamsters when I was a kid and hated the metal cage as my hamster would bite the bars all night long. Then got the plastic ones with the pipe and tunnels but my hamster used to escape all the time.
Thanks so much for this detailed info on hamster cage selection. My little niece actually wanna keep hamster as a pet, so this useful for me. Cheers Sienny
OMG, this is so cute! I am still negotiating with my husband that we get a hamster (or two) because they look adorable pets, but we have to consider our two cats. I am jealous!
I guess there is a lot more to consider about hamsters than I originally thought. Didn’t even know there were different types who need different cages.
Thank you so much for the recommendation. Oscar has been asking for a hamster for a while now, so this has come in really useful 🙂
Louise x
These are helpful tips especially for those first-time hamster owners. I agree with you that choosing the right size is very important. We really have to give him enough space to run around.
I had a hamster as a pet when I was younger. We bought him a really funky colourful, plastic cage with lots of play obstacles in it. I think he loved it 😀
This is helpful info. It’s perfect for anyone that is considering having a hamster in the future.
Thanks so much, I’m glad you liked the post.
What a neat cage! I am so used to seeing tiny cages for hamsters. This looks like an awesome setup!