Your hamster cage is probably one of the most important key in keeping your pet healthy. This is because it is just like human, hamsters need to have a good house to stay and live.
You need to get a hamster cage before you get yourself a hamster. You cannot take care of a hamster without a cage.
It is either you buy one, or you make one by yourself. However, I strongly recommend that you buy one. This is because hamster cages are not as expensive as they can be and if you provide proper care, the cage will be in good condition even after a long time.
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Factors to Consider when Selecting a Hamster cage
These days when you go looking for a hamster cage you will be confronted by all sorts of different contraptions that you can use to house your pet hamster in. Gone are the days when the only option to house a small pet was a rectangular wire cage, now we have much more inventive homes for our pet hamsters.
If you chose a wire cage, be sure to check how the wire secures to the plastic bottom of the cage, if there are any weaknesses or gaps your hamster will find a way to escape. This especially applies to the Russian hamsters as they are smaller in size than a normal Syrian hamster and the cages are built with the Syrian hamsters in mind.
Check how strong the cage door is, can it be opened easily, do you think your hamster could open the door?
It is a good idea to invest in a small padlock that you can use to lock the cage doors, especially doors on the side of the cage as opposed to the doorway in the roof and the hinges can get weak over time. Get a combination padlock as you can open them by knowing the combination and you don’t have to look after another key.
Hamster Cage Bedding
All cages should have a sleeping area and should be kitted out with the correct bedding for your hamster; any bedding that would be harmful if swallowed should not be used. Good hamster bedding can be purchased from your local pet store or as hamsters are so popular now, in your local supermarket.
Before you put the bedding inside the hamster cage, tease it out with your hand so your hamster can easily burrow into it.
Sectional Hamster Cages
You can also opt to get sectional housing for your hamster, this can be a lot more exciting for them as it gives them the opportunity to climb and explore. The layouts mimic the kind of burrows that hamsters would have in the wild, usually with a tunnel section that leads of to the sleeping area where they would have a nest and all their bedding.
If you chose hamster sectional housing then you can start small and gradually build up with extra sections. These section houses or tubular housing systems provide great security for your hamster as opposed to a standard cage; you should always check the plastics on the housing thoroughly as hamsters can still nibble away at it to try to escape.
Recommended Product:
Critterville Arcade Hamster Cage by MidWest Homes for Pets
| FEATURES: |
|---|
| Includes FREE accessories to get you started: exercise wheel, water bottle, food bowl, and circular cubby. |
| Features a fun multi-level Vertical PlaySpace. |
| Includes a port with connecting rings that allow you to expand the home with tubes or an additional cage. |
| The interior tubes allow your hamster easy access from the lower level to the Vertical PlaySpace. |
Hamster Cages – Facts and Information
Hamsters love digging and creating tunnels the most and it is also a part of their survival instinct . If you plan on having happy hamsters at your house you have to make sure that they can have their perfect environment wherein they will be able to dig and burrow to their hearts desires.
To create such environment, a couple of steps need to be observed. For someone with a cage already, torn papers or even tissue papers of about 10 cm can be placed on the cage ‘ s bottom area for the hamsters to sleep on.
For those who do not own one hamster cage, or is just interested in creating a playing area for the hamsters, a large wide bin will do where they could still dig and also tunnel much.
One can choose some waste bin for this and can just leave enough open area at the upper part of such bin so the hamsters will not be able to get out.
However for those who are having second thoughts about such idea as it could definitely get messy, there is another option that you can choose and that is to purchase one hamster cage.
Hamster cages come with fitted tunnels and through this, your pet will be entertained and will be able to have its own safe place. Aside from the cage being able to provide opportunity for the hamsters to dig and burrow, it can also provide a good nesting area for the hamsters.
To create the nesting area, shredded tissue papers and wood shavings can be used as they are usually the easiest to have. Some words of advice though, if you plan to use wood as a material for the cage, refrain from using wood that is treated as the hamsters always love to chew and chewing treated wood can make the hamsters sick.
Recommended Product:
Favola Double-floor Hamster Cage by Ferplast
| FEATURES: |
|---|
| The double-floor structure has been designed to ensure your pet hamster needs for everyday activities. |
| The cage features an original combination of sturdy wire mesh structure and a large transparent plastic base. |
| The cage has on the top a small door with security hook to prevent accidental escapes. |
| The habitat comes complete with one nest for sleeping, one feeding bowl, one water bottle and one wheel for exercise. |
| For a more accurate cleaning, it is possible to separate base and top completely, just unlocking the side clips. |
Burrowing Area for Your Hamster
Having a burrowing area is also perfect for the hamsters to have privacy and to seek refuge and retreat when feeling frightened. By nature, hamsters can also be nervous at times thus it is essential to provide them an area where they could seek solitude. In this way, the hamsters will feel less stress and will even be happier.
Refrain from using materials having small fibres such as cotton. These materials can be the cause of digestive problems as the hamsters will try to ingest them. In creating the hamster ‘ s nesting area, you can go for slightly shredded materials such as the toilet paper.
During a weekly cage cleaning, you can replace the nest but try to leave some nesting materials behind in order for the hamsters not to feel stressed out by the sudden change of the environment.
Potty Train Your Hamster
Like other pets, you can also potty training your hamsters.
This would make your cage cleaning less messy and also easier. After owning a hamster pet, observe them for several weeks and see where their droppings are usually concentrated inside the cage and then place something like a little tray with newspaper or even with litter pellets.
After a while, your hamsters will soon start using the small tray you put and will then become toilet-trained before long.
Your Hamster Will Need Chewing Toys
Another thing that needs to be considered is your pet hamster ‘ s teeth, which will continue to grow throughout its lifetime. To decrease any chances of the hamster ‘ s teeth from overgrowing, you have to provide your hamsters with chewy toys as the toys will keep the hamster ‘ s teeth regular as well as prevent them from sticking to one usual diet.
During an instance when your hamster breaks a tooth, you could decrease the longer tooth’s length to have it match the other shorter tooth through the use of scissors.
Doing this will help your hamster eat and will also lessen their discomfort. You can stop worrying about reducing the hamster’s longer tooth with a scissor as this will not hurt your hamster at all.
The process is similar as when cutting nails. You just have to hold your hamster and stop it from wriggling around.
One way to hold your hamster is to try to hold it from its scruff on its neck. This is probably the easiest option when trying to hold them.
Recommended Product:
Kaytee Extreme 14 Day Odor Control Hamster Bedding
| FEATURES: |
|---|
| Super-soft, absorbent bedding, clean and cozy bedding keeps the hamster clean and dry. |
| Neutralizes odor for a fresh and clean cage. |
| Absorbs 6x its weight in liquid. |
| 99% dust free for a cleaner cage and healthy habitat. |
| Made in USA. |
Hamster Exercise
Part of hamster care is ensuring your pet hamster is kept fit, ok this does not mean barking orders at them and ordering them to drop and give you twenty, rather it is making sure they have access to exercise regularly.
You will need a hamster wheel for them to run in, hamsters love wheels and some use them for hours on end during the night and daytime. A quick tip is to use some oil on the wheel as they can quickly become annoying when they start to squeak every time it is used, a dab of oil on the moving part will remedy this.
In the wild hamsters will come out from their burrows when it is dark and go on long searches for food or for a mate and having an exercise wheel in the cage will act as the perfect substitute for this behavior.
Look for an enclosed wheel so it is not possible for the hamster to fall out an injure themselves and always check the wheel everyday to ensure that it is not becoming loose. It is noted that pregnant female hamsters use the exercise wheel a lot more often; this is because they are preparing for the birth by working their muscles.
If you have a multi level cage then you can add to it over time, this way you are increasing the possibilities that your hamster to move around. Marvellous contraptions have been built for hamsters using these cages so if you have the room we recommended these cages.
Not to mention that kids will love them and enjoy hours of fun and creativity in building a vast network for your hamster to run around in. It will only be your budget and the availability of room that limits the possibilities of the tubular caging, as there are many different pieces to use as extensions to the cage.
Varieties of Hamster Cages
Hamster cages can be of several categories and they include the following:
Hamster Aquariums Cage
This is considered the best under dwarf hamster varieties . Its enclosure is made of solid glass, which can allow complete visibility. It can also prevent any escape attempt. Litter is contained and not scattered onto its surrounding surface.
The cons to this type of cage are that natural flow of air is not present and there is a need for regular cleaning of the litter to prevent any building-up of the ammonia fumes.
The specifically-designed lid still be required in order to secure the hamster. There is the special hanger that can be used for water bottle suspension. Five gallon glasstype of aquarium can be purchased between the price of $10 and $15 . It will be a nice idea to buy two of such aquarium so you can put your hamsters in one aquarium while you are cleaning the other aquarium.
Plastic Hamster Cages
When it comes to the security level and its litter containment, this type is similar to the aquarium. However unlike the aquariums, these are secifically-designed to cater to the small rodents. It has a vented lidfor air circulation.
Some of its models even have snap-up tubes and also compartments to provide additional exercises opportunities. One problem however is that with this type of cage, removing hamsters for cuddling is a lot harder.
Barred Wire Cages with Plastic Trays
This is a traditional hamster cage that comes with tray deep in its bottom. Such type can provide ideal flow of air, however it is also important to put the cage a distance away from the drafts, which can then cause the hamsters to get sick.
With multi-story type of cages, your hamsters can have more spaces. Traditional type of hamster homes however are not for dwarf type hamsters. These will still require the mouse cage with bars that are placed closely together. The plastic and wire cages can be purchased from $30 to $35 for one story cage.
After you have already made your choice of what enclosure you would like to have, the accessories would be next then. Hamsters can experience a better life quality if provided with things such as exercise water wheel, water bottle, stoneware food bowl or automatic feeder, a litter bedding out of stray, hay, or even aspen shaving, and also something to continue chewing on.
Recommended Product:
Exotic Nutrition’s Silent Runner 9″ Hamster Exercise Wheel
| FEATURES: |
|---|
| Includes cage attachment for mounting, to increase floor space for pet. |
| Safe, solid running track with no pinch area. |
| Designed with front panel for hamster stability and safety. |
| Innovative rolling ball-bearing design allows wheel to spin completely smooth and silent. |
| Made without a center axle which prevents injury and tail/fur entanglement. |
Hamster Cages Things to Consider
- Make sure the hamster cage that you are going to get is big enough for your hamster. Ask the store keeper if it is suitable for your hamster. This is especially true if you are going to keep a lot of hamsters in one cage.
- You don’t need a multi-storey cage. Just a nice and simple one will do. Your hamster is not a good climber. If you have a lot of storeys in the cage, it might causes your hamster to fall.
- Remember to clean the cage at least once a week. You don’t have to get everything out and wash it with soap and anti-bacteria, you just need to make sure it is clean and your hamster can live healthily.
- However, you need to clean it thoroughly once a month. This is to prevent bacterial from spreading and it will makes your hamsters sick.
- Avoid placing your hamster cage under direct sunlight or near to any heat source such as the kitchen stove.
- Always make sure your hamster cage is dry and in clean condition. You do not want to have a leak water bottle inside your hamster cage. It will wet the bedding and make a mess.
- You can place a piece of old newspaper under the cage and put in some wood chips on top of it. You can always replace it by taking the whole sheet of newspaper.
Recommended Product:
Hammock Hamster Hanging Toy by WINOMO
| FEATURES: |
|---|
| This Fuzzy Nest gives your lovely hamster a warm and comfortable hut to rest. |
| Comes with 4 hanging clips which allows the hammocks to attach firmly to the cage. |
| Strong chains with high quality. |
| Made of comfortable and soft fabrics, bring much more warmth for small pets. |
| It's an ideal place designed for your little friends, safe and warm for them to sleep or play inside. |
How To Clean A Hamster Cage
Take your hamster out of its cage and put it somewhere such as a hamster ball, a box or an enclosed space where it can run around.
Take the top off the cage and remove the water bottle and the food bowl. Empty the bottle, and rinse it out. Use a thin brush to clean the inside and then fill it back up with fresh, cold water. Empty the food bowl into the bin and clean it out, then put in some fresh food.
If the cage has any tubes or ladders etc, take them out and clean them with warm water and a cleaner that will be safe for your hamster.
Empty out the sawdust or shavings and bedding from your hamsters cage and empty them into the bin. Your hamster usually has a corner which it goes to the toilet in, this should be cleaned out daily. Wash the cage thoroughly.
Line the bottom of the cage with sawdust or wooden shavings and put in some fresh papery bedding.
Replace the food bowl, water bottle and re-attach all the tubes and compartments if your cage has them. Replace any toys or chews.
Put your hamster back in his clean cage and let him remake his bed!
Tips You Need To Know
- It helps if you have a big cage with lots of space for your hamster to move around, as it will make your pet happier!
- You should change the hamsters water every day.
- Using vinegar also works. Please make sure you rinse well before putting your hamster back into the cage.
- Some people use a disinfecting wipe and then rinse.
- Never use any citrus-scented disinfectants seeing as it can damage your hamster.
- Remember, you don’t have to clean your hamsters all the time, but you need to clean the cage often.
Basically, these are the important information you need to know about hamster cages. As long as you follow through the advice here, you will be a good pet owner.
Recommended Product:
ZALALOVA Natural Wood Chew Toys for Hamsters
| FEATURES: |
|---|
| Made of selected first-class wood, natural sun drying, strict control of dehydration rate. |
| Polished many times, smooth corners to ensure that your pet will not be injured. |
| Not only are high quality toys, but also are bite-resistant molar tools. |
| Wooden blocks will expand and deform after encountering water. |
| Wooden blocks are prone to mildew, so you need to regularly put on the airy balcony. |
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