Hamster Central - View Single Post - Can large cages be good for Chinese hamsters?

Pebbles82 · 11-21-2019, 03:19 AM

I am not an expert on Chinese hamsters, but I think it varies. Some people say they need a lot of space as they are so active. Some people find them very shy and fine in a smaller cage. And maybe some of that depends on the personality of the hamster.

I also have a thing about front access - in the early days of taming, a hamster can be affected by a hand coming from above (as with a tank style or bin cage) - and in that respect, handling and taming is done better out of the cage (you could get them out by lowering a hamster ball into the bin with a treat in and let them hop into that). Or by letting them walk into a tube with a treat in then quickly put your hands over either end and lift them out that way, but I would have a box or similar nearby to put the tube down in fairly quickly, in case the hamster makes you jump and you drop the tube (I doubt they would nip but they can "push"your hand).

Some hamsters just don't like a hand in the cage at all as it is their territory. Personally I would focus on taming your hammy while he is still in the bin cage by having taming sessions out of the cage.

Chinese hamsters also like to climb a bit more than other hamsters. I know Cypher on here, always preferred to have hers in barred cages with a front entrance, but others have successfully used bins or tanks.

Even if you have the hamster more tamed, a change of cage can set things back temporarily so you would have to give it a bit of time. They need about 2 weeks to fully settle into a new cage environment and ideally leave them alone completely for 2 to 3 days and then don't clean anything/move things for the first two weeks. He will gradually scent mark and familiarise himself with the new cage although a lot of this may be done at night.

When changing cages also it's important not to clean everything before the move and to move all the old substrate across into the new cage,even if it's a bit whiffy and toys/house/wheel etc without cleaning anythng. The familiar smell helps them adjust easier.

When you have a much larger cage you need a lot more substrate, so fill the new cage with new substrate then put most of the old substrate on top at the end where the house is and sprinkle the rest on top of the new/spread it out on top.

It also helps to have a similar layout so their "route" is familiar - eg house at left end, wheel centre back, other items laid out in a similar way to before and assume you will also add new items to fill the space.

The key with a much larger cage is to not have a lot of open space and have plenty of enrichment. Lots of floor toys, tunnels, hides etc and I think a platform is fairly essential too (it is overhead cover for them and also somewhere to go/climb onto.

Is the new cage you're looking at a detolf? Or bigger. I am not so sure about replacing the glass with wood sides tbh - firstly you can see through glass and secondly hamsters can chew wood cages. If you have a photo of the prospective new cage it might help with advice.

Another thing you can do initially is effectively make a smaller cage area in the new big cage - so it's not much bigger than the current cage - eg put in partition and fill the area beyond thepartition with substrate and a couple of hides and tunnels on top of that substrate, then have a hole in the partition, so the hamster can explore into that end if and when they want to, while still feeling secure in a smaller area. When the hamster has adjusted you could remove the partition or lower it so you can have a ramp over the top of it so it is one large area but on different levels.

One thing they do need is somewhere dark to retreat to so a large house or nesting box that is dark inside helps them feel secure and so they can build a really big nest. A shoebox house is an ideal size (cut the base out of the shoebox, keep the lid for a lift off roof so you don't need to lift the house out to prevent the nest being disturbed, and cut a hole for a door - at one end of the long side of the house is best so the other end is darker.

Hope that helps. I see you are in the US and there is a shortage of barred cages altogether and cages with front doors, so many people use bins and tanks.

I would look at the detolf though - it is not too expensive - it just needs two removable lids making. For a Chinese I would add things like a large branch that could make a kind of climbing toy.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/detolf-...rown-10119206/

Some examples here

Most of these don't have enough substrate in or enough enrichment, but there are some good examples if you scroll down

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ha...w=1252&bih=554

Just to add - for more information about what is best for Chinese Hamsters - Vectis has a lot of very helpful information on her website - she is a breeder of Chinese Hamsters.

https://vectishams.com/chinese-hamster/

This page has a few examples of detolf setups with plenty of enrichment so there's not too much open space, and examples of sectioning off an area/different levels (the photo at the top changes to show the different setups).

Ikea Detolf

This set up also shows how you can make 3 smaller areas/levels within the larger space

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File

IY_cage_example_(Ikea_detolf_-_157_x_38cm_._Approx_0.6sq_metres).jpg

Personally I think a 6 foot cage may be a bit too big for a chinese. Some people have found they are very happy in an 80 x 50 cage like the Hamster heaven - which has a big front opening door for good access and you can use the bars to add enrichment - shelves etc.

Unfortunately it's a bit expensive in the US - this is the version with the narrower bar spacing - the Lixit Mickey 2 Xl. I have this cage and it's very good - the wire platform needs removing though.

https://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Animal-...4332552&sr=8-5

It might not be much different from your bin cage size except for having front access (good for interaction and taming) and bars.

11-21-2019, 03:19 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	I am not an expert on Chinese hamsters, but I think it varies. Some people say they need a lot of space as they are so active. Some people find them very shy and fine in a smaller cage. And maybe some of that depends on the personality of the hamster. I also have a thing about front access - in the early days of taming, a hamster can be affected by a hand coming from above (as with a tank style or bin cage) - and in that respect, handling and taming is done better out of the cage (you could get them out by lowering a hamster ball into the bin with a treat in and let them hop into that). Or by letting them walk into a tube with a treat in then quickly put your hands over either end and lift them out that way, but I would have a box or similar nearby to put the tube down in fairly quickly, in case the hamster makes you jump and you drop the tube (I doubt they would nip but they can "push"your hand). Some hamsters just don't like a hand in the cage at all as it is their territory. Personally I would focus on taming your hammy while he is still in the bin cage by having taming sessions out of the cage. Chinese hamsters also like to climb a bit more than other hamsters. I know Cypher on here, always preferred to have hers in barred cages with a front entrance, but others have successfully used bins or tanks. Even if you have the hamster more tamed, a change of cage can set things back temporarily so you would have to give it a bit of time. They need about 2 weeks to fully settle into a new cage environment and ideally leave them alone completely for 2 to 3 days and then don't clean anything/move things for the first two weeks. He will gradually scent mark and familiarise himself with the new cage although a lot of this may be done at night. When changing cages also it's important not to clean everything before the move and to move all the old substrate across into the new cage,even if it's a bit whiffy and toys/house/wheel etc without cleaning anythng. The familiar smell helps them adjust easier. When you have a much larger cage you need a lot more substrate, so fill the new cage with new substrate then put most of the old substrate on top at the end where the house is and sprinkle the rest on top of the new/spread it out on top. It also helps to have a similar layout so their "route" is familiar - eg house at left end, wheel centre back, other items laid out in a similar way to before and assume you will also add new items to fill the space. The key with a much larger cage is to not have a lot of open space and have plenty of enrichment. Lots of floor toys, tunnels, hides etc and I think a platform is fairly essential too (it is overhead cover for them and also somewhere to go/climb onto. Is the new cage you're looking at a detolf? Or bigger. I am not so sure about replacing the glass with wood sides tbh - firstly you can see through glass and secondly hamsters can chew wood cages. If you have a photo of the prospective new cage it might help with advice. Another thing you can do initially is effectively make a smaller cage area in the new big cage - so it's not much bigger than the current cage - eg put in partition and fill the area beyond thepartition with substrate and a couple of hides and tunnels on top of that substrate, then have a hole in the partition, so the hamster can explore into that end if and when they want to, while still feeling secure in a smaller area. When the hamster has adjusted you could remove the partition or lower it so you can have a ramp over the top of it so it is one large area but on different levels. One thing they do need is somewhere dark to retreat to so a large house or nesting box that is dark inside helps them feel secure and so they can build a really big nest. A shoebox house is an ideal size (cut the base out of the shoebox, keep the lid for a lift off roof so you don't need to lift the house out to prevent the nest being disturbed, and cut a hole for a door - at one end of the long side of the house is best so the other end is darker. Hope that helps. I see you are in the US and there is a shortage of barred cages altogether and cages with front doors, so many people use bins and tanks. I would look at the detolf though - it is not too expensive - it just needs two removable lids making. For a Chinese I would add things like a large branch that could make a kind of climbing toy. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/detolf-...rown-10119206/ Some examples here Most of these don't have enough substrate in or enough enrichment, but there are some good examples if you scroll down https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ha...w=1252&bih=554 Just to add - for more information about what is best for Chinese Hamsters - Vectis has a lot of very helpful information on her website - she is a breeder of Chinese Hamsters. https://vectishams.com/chinese-hamster/ This page has a few examples of detolf setups with plenty of enrichment so there's not too much open space, and examples of sectioning off an area/different levels (the photo at the top changes to show the different setups). Ikea Detolf This set up also shows how you can make 3 smaller areas/levels within the larger space https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FileIY_cage_example_(Ikea_detolf_-_157_x_38cm_._Approx_0.6sq_metres).jpg Personally I think a 6 foot cage may be a bit too big for a chinese. Some people have found they are very happy in an 80 x 50 cage like the Hamster heaven - which has a big front opening door for good access and you can use the bars to add enrichment - shelves etc. Unfortunately it's a bit expensive in the US - this is the version with the narrower bar spacing - the Lixit Mickey 2 Xl. I have this cage and it's very good - the wire platform needs removing though. https://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Animal-...4332552&sr=8-5 It might not be much different from your bin cage size except for having front access (good for interaction and taming) and bars. Last edited by souffle; 11-21-2019 at 04:09 AM.