When caring for a hamster picking the right hamster cage is an extremely important one. There are many different kinds of hamster cages. Hamster cages can be flashy, exquisite, or just plain simple. Hamsters spend the majority of their life in their cages, thus making it very important to pick the right enclosure. When looking for a hamster cage, make sure to purchase one that is big enough to house all the hamster accessories. You will have water bowls, food bowls, hamster wheel and a hamster house that will all need to fit inside the cage.
Hamsters need at least 288 sq inches (e.g. 24’x12′) of ground floor space and we would strongly recommend at least 360 sq inches (e.g. 30′ x 12′) for a Syrian Hamster. Buying a cage smaller than this will lead to stress and behavioral problems for your hamster.
Different types of hamster cages:
Wire frame: These cages have long been very popular among hamster owners. Pet supply stores usually have many different kinds of wire frame hamster cages. Wire frame hamster cages can come in single and multi levels. Most wire frame hamster cages are popular due to the fact that they are chew proof. Hamsters will try and chew on virtually everything in their enclosure, including the cage.
Glass aquarium: As with any enclosure, glass aquarium hamster cages have many advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of glass hamster enclosures include:
- Less injury from hamsters trying to escape enclosure.
- Ability to see your hamsters burrows.
- Reduction of draughts.
Some of the glass aquarium disadvantages include the following:
- Harder to clean
- Problems with condensation
- Heavier that wire frame hamster cages
- More expensive than your common hamster enclosure
Plastic Aquarium: For the most part plastic aquariums are very similar as far as advantages and disadvantages. The main difference glass and plastic enclosures are:
- Glass cages tend to look better
- Plastic cages are easier to move and clean
- Plastic cages tend to be cheaper in price
Plastic tube: These type of cages the favorite among young hamster owners. While one would think that plastic tube hamster cages are the “perfect cage”, there are some disadvantages. Plastic tube hamster cages are very tedious to clean. Cleaning inside the tubes means that one must remove to tubes to completely clean inside. If the cage is %100 made out of plastic there often becomes issues with condensation. Tube cages with wire frames will reduce the condensation problem. Advantages of these cages are they provide, already made burrows for your hamster to explore and run in. These types of cages also provide entertainment for anyone watching them explore their cage.
In regards to proper pet care, picking the right hamster enclosure is one of the most important decisions when owning a hamster. A hamsters cage is it’s house, its shelter, its home.
