Is my cage big enough?

user38725 · 04-05-2018, 04:55 AM

I will be getting a Syrian hamster really soon and I have everything ready, I just want to know if the cage is okay. My cage is a bit small but it can fit in a large hamster wheel, food a big den toys, sand bath etc with extra room to run about in. It also has a second floor and a long tube going from one end of the cage, all the way round the outside and to the other end. I will also let it out into the playpen a lot. Will it be okay?

cypher · 04-05-2018, 05:18 AM

Do you know what the dimensions of the cage are?
I wouldn't recommend any cage with those tubes on for a new hamster, they will often sleep, hoard food & pee in them which is really unhealthy & if your ham is a bit shy it can make getting it out very stressful.

Razor · 04-05-2018, 05:35 AM

Hi,
In my opinion, no cage is really big enough. Considering hamster in the wild run miles and miles foraging for food, the bigger the better. Take my hamster for example, I have a detolf cage, and not only does she run a lot on the wheel, but also loves running the length of the cage. Often, she even burrows in one end of the cage and pops out the other end, which is more than 1.5 m away, and this is something she loves doing! Hamsters and most other rodents have a huge network of burrows and tunnels when living in the wild. Bigger cages help them recreate these habits, which is good! I read a comment by someone either on this forum or on HamsterHideout which went like this "Whatever dimensions we humans say is good need not be the best for the hamster, because what we say is based on we think is best for them, not what the hamster feels is best for themselves."

Long story short, I'd recommend that your cage is a good size in the German standards, owing to the fact that they have some of the best hamster welfare regulations out there. If I'm not mistaken, this would be about 100x100 or equivalent. Here's an article from this forum started by Serendipity7000.
P.S. I've also read a lot of articles that state that the total floor space to be accounted/considered is only the floor space in the lowest level, and not the sum total of each of levels, with which I'm in strong agreement. But I'm guessing you've already purchased the cage. Just hope it is of a reasonably large size else would strongly recommend trying to get it exchanged for something big!

cypher · 04-05-2018, 05:41 AM

Much as I love big cages when suitable I am going to disagree to some extent that no cage is big enough, hamsters vary a lot in temperament & some can be quite overwhelmed by a large cage when they first come home especially from a pet shop where they will most likely have been in a small tank with siblings.Some will love all the space you can give them if it is set up well but you can't be sure until you get to know your ham really.
There are no recommendations in the Uk but most hams do well in a cage of about 100x50cm, some are fine in something around 80x50cm.

user38725 · 04-05-2018, 05:53 AM

Okay thanks!

Pebbles82 · 04-05-2018, 06:57 AM

I would say if you think it's a bit small it probably is

It would be better to start off with a cage they can stay in, than to upgrade later, so it would be good to get something ideal for a Syrian now. If you've only just bought the other cage and it hasn't been used yet, you could take it back for a refund.

Popular cages that are good for Syrians are the Barney, Alexander and Alaska cages from Zooplus and the Savic Hamster Plaza. If you can find room for one of the 100cm cages I think your Syrian will be very happy in there. The Alaska is about the smallest you'd want to go, and some people find it absolutely fine for a Syrian, but then sometimes want to upgrade and find there isn't enough scope for "enrichment" within that size of cage.

Enrichment is the key word these days. No point having a big cage if there's not much in it. Enrichment is a good depth of substrate for normal behaviours like digging, burying things, and moving it around where they want it. A shelf or level so there is something to sit on and under, a house or nesting box big enough to build a large nest to keep warm and that's dark inside so they can retreat somewhere dark, floor toys/tubes/hidey places for variety and things to do.

Hamster Cages | great selection at zooplus

The Barney and Alexander have everything you need if you already have a wheel - just add substrate and toys. The Alaska needs a good house and the white cat house could do with removing as the holes are too small for a Syrian.

http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wcs...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

The Savic Plaza could do with an additional shelf or two and a good house.

Most people with 100cm cages buy substrate in bulk so you can put plenty in, it lasts for ages and works out a lot cheaper. And you can spot clean mainly and use a litter tray and then you only need to do cleanouts every 2 to 3 months (better for the hamster as less stress - they don't like having all their scent removed or the upheaval).

Cage set up can be quite individual and depend on the size of the Syrian - I needed very large toys for our last Syrian who was huge and that filled up an 80cm cage far too much -he was much better with the 100cm Barney. Generally rat sized toys and tunnels are better for Syrians anyway as they can get stuck in plastic tubes. Any house or tunnel ideally needs a diameter of 7cm. 6cm at a push for a smaller syrian - they can be 7cm wide with full pouches.

user38725 · 04-05-2018, 07:14 AM

Okay, unfortunately I’ve already opened it and set it up so I’ll see how it goes. If it looks too small or my hamster is stressed and trying to get out then I’ll probably get the Alaska hamster cage.

Pebbles82 · 04-05-2018, 07:46 AM

What cage is it? I'm sure you could still pack it up and return it

If it's not suitable then you could end up with issues quite quickly - bar chewing and cage aggression - and not be able to return it once it's used.

Pebbles82 · 04-05-2018, 07:50 AM

The cages linked may look quite plain and uninteresting on the photos, but people add things and make them interesting

It's like a clean sheet of paper to draw on. A lot of cages sold look fun and colourful but are really unsuitable - they can be too tall and have fall risks, or have too shallow a base for substrate. Have a look at the "Let's see your cages" thread for some ideas.

Let's see your cages - New thread - July 2017

Pebbles82 · 04-05-2018, 07:52 AM

The Hamster Heaven on Zooplus is a good cage as well. Most of the colourful plastic and tubing is quite useless though and causes all kinds of issues such as blocking up tubes with bedding and pee running off the shelves or hamsters trying to nest in the little round houses and finding they're not big enough. So most people end up removing all the colourful plastic - but it's still a good cage.