Housing - Cage or Tank?

Housing - Cage or Tank?
Buying a cage is the largest expense in keeping a hamster and it is important to provide the best and largest cage for your hamster that you can. However, it is possible to make a cage yourself for your hamster from relatively cheap items. Different species of hamsters are best suited to different types of cages and so it is important to ensure that any cage purchased is suitable for the species of hamster that it is intended to house. Personally, i would prefer a tank because it is more spacious, easy to clean and you can add-in/take-out any accessorries when you feel like. But there are still many good cages available in the market.

The most common type of hamster cage has a plastic base and a rigid wire top. The wire top can be unclipped from the base making it easy to get the hamster out of the cage or to clean the cage. Similar cages with two or more floor levels are also available with ladders which allow the hamster to climb up and down between the different levels. These plastic base, rigid wire top cages are lightweight, durable and relatively cheap. However, you should check the secureness of any doors on such a cage as one that is opened too easily may be pushed open by the hamster. Some hamster cages have bars which are spaced a little too far apart and it is not suitable for Drawf Hamsters. The bars should not be spaced more than 0.5 cm apart to prevent the hamster from escaping. A cage with a shallow base will allow woodshavings to be kicked out of the cage and so it is best to find a cage with a deep base. The disadvantage with these type of cages is that they are not draughtproof and so it is important that this is considered when deciding where to put the cage.

There are also various makes of cages which consist of solid compartments and tunnels. These cages are often quite expensive and can be quite a challenging job to take apart and clean. Most Dwarf Hamsters once full grown are able to climb up vertically through the tubes but they will undoubtedly find a horizontal arrangement of the tubes and compartments easier. As they are solid compartments they do offer protection from draughts. As a minimum any such cage must have at least one large compartment which allows the hamster plenty of room in which to explore and exercise.

Tanks/Plastic Aquariums can also be used to house a hamster. These are draughtproof and relatively cheap but glass aquariums can be awkward to clean because of their heavy weight. Plastic aquariums however are much easier to clean being lighter but the sides tend to become cratched after a time. Tanks/Aquariums make ideal cages for pregnant hamsters, nursing mothers and baby hamsters. A water bottle can be fixed to the side of an aquarium by using suction cup or some water bottles are designed to be hung and these can be hung from the top of the aquarium. If the aquarium is shallow water bottles can be fixed horizontally from the lid but it should remembered that these will want refilling regularly as they will not dispense water when half empty. It is always best to ensure a lid is fixed to an aquarium - this will ensure nothing is accidentally dropped on the hamster, and will also help in preventing the hamster to escape - given plenty of woodshavings they can pile them up in one corner and reach the top. A wire mesh top is preferable to a solid lid with airholes as this prevents the build up of condensation.


Housing & Setup:

Winter Whites, Russian Campbell Dwarf Hamsters, Roborovskis and Chinese Dwarfs can be housed in the below cages as well as a 1.5ft Plastic Guppy tank.



Syrian Hamsters need to be housed as below, with either an 8 inch Wodent Wheel or a 21cm Sanko Silent Wheel:



Items needed:
- A right size of tank or cage.
- A wheel is MANDATORY.
- A water bottle
- A food dish/bowl
- A toilet (if your hamster is toilet trained, Syrians are easy to toilet train)
- Bedding: Breeder Celect, Corn Cob, Wood Shavings (no pine, no cedar)