If you will be housing more than one hamster in the same cage, the cage will need to be even bigger to give each hamster plenty of room. A good guideline to follow is the minimum floor space times the number of hamsters to be put in the cage Some Dwarf hamsters can be housed together in pairs, but only in same-sex pairs to prevent breeding. Roborovski and Russian Campbells are the best hamsters to be housed in pairs. [5] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source [6] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source Keep in mind that Syrian hamsters are very territorial and should never be housed together. [7] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source However, they can be housed near each other in separate cages, so long as they can’t be disturbed by each others presence. So a rule of thumb should be to separate their cage by 4-6 inches.
Your hamster may start to have trouble breathing if his aquarium or plastic cage is not well ventilated. If you notice that he is not breathing properly or looks unwell in general (not eating, playing as much or has physical signs of illness), consider cleaning his cage to remove soiled bedding. You may also want to consider purchasing a wire cage, that is of adequate size.
No matter which type of cage you have, it would be helpful to have a secondary, smaller cage that you can put your hamster in while you are cleaning his main cage or away travelling with your hamster. [11] X Research source
An aquarium or plastic cage may be better for your Chinese or dwarf hamster, since he would not be able to escape easily.
Big wire cages are more suitable for Syrian hamsters, since they are relatively large and would not be able to squeeze between the wires. [17] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source Be aware that your hamster could gnaw on the wires,- if not given chews and toys-, which could lead to various dental problems that may need veterinary care.
It can be fun to watch your hamster run through the cage. A plastic cage is not ideal if you have a large hamster, since he could get stuck in the tunnels. [19] X Research source If you have a dwarf hamster, he could easily hide in the small nooks and crannies of the cage, making him hard to find. Most plastic cages are too small alone and can only be used as attachment cages to a cage of the minimum size. [20] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source Plastic hamster cages should not have any edges that your hamster could gnaw on. [21] X Research source
The minimum size aquarium that you should have for your hamster is 30-40 gallons depending on the specific aquarium. Just be sure to have the floorspace be of the minimum size or bigger. [24] X Research source An aquarium would be ideal if you have a dwarf or Chinese hamster. [25] X Research source Aquariums have a few disadvantages, such as being heavy and having poor ventilation. Since aquariums are not hamster-specific, you would need to buy extra items to place inside of it, such as tunnels and ladders. [26] X Research source
