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Originally Posted by Schwartzie
Hi Phoebe, this journey is so exciting right?
I saw above that there was a mention of using 2 inches of bedding or more. This is according to German and American standards but I want to just give you some back round on the logistics of using so much bedding. Hamsters use burrowing in the wild to create a place to sleep, pee and stash their food. With the standards mentioned in Germany they also talk about massive cage sizes which imitates the wild as much as possible. Not all of us have the space, funds or most of the skills to build cages like this. I had a rabbit cage of 100cm x 50cm which I placed mesh over and then filled the base over 3 inches deep by blocking the sides. I did this before realizing that I had to tame my hamster first. What a I mean is that before looking into increasing the depth of bedding make sure that your hamster comes out for treats or is actively bonding with you before you do this. 2 inches and more is stated in research but make sure that you put practical things in place first. Serendipity7000 gave me amazing advice on how to keep bedding depth but make it easier to keep your cage clean and hygienic. It gets difficult if the majority of your cage is 2 inches deep because you cant pinpoint where food is being stashed etc for spot cleaning. The German sized cages are so big that you only have to clean them twice a year. It doesn’t matter about spot cleaning where cages that are smaller become tricky to maintain.
Ragna also hardly came up and I eventually found him deep in the bedding. This is what hamsters do but as pets we want to be able to check them etc and bond. I have a camera installed and made a personal...my own choice to build a huge area for him and allow him 50cm bedding knowing I would probably only see him on camera. That’s my choice and I just wanted to tell you what you can do before using that depth of bedding to ensure that you can still interact with your hamster.
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This is really good advice. Don't get too hung up on huge cage sizes and bedding depth at first. As long as the cage is big enough for a suitable wheel, good hide, some toys, and 10 to 15cm of bedding it is fine. Work with your hamster to tame him. My current hamster took 4 months to tame. He was a scared little one, but he is very used to us now. He didn't bite, just was very scared, and squeeked a lot.
Also keep in mind that cage size also depends a bit on your hamster. The generally accepted UK minimum is 80 x 50cm, the German 100 x 50 cm. If your hamster is showing any signs of stress (bar chewing, pacing, etc) then you can give them a bigger enclosure. My boy has been happy in a 77 x 47, and now in his 100 x 60 cage. He is a Syrian and burrows fine in 20cm of bedding. He is very happy.
Get to know your hamster, and know what you can offer space-wise in your house for a cage. Remember also that bigger cages need more toys and bedding, so factor that into your costing. 100 x 60 is a fine size for my hammy and me. I do have a lazy boy though.