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Old 11-20-2018, 09:05 PM   #1
alpacassei
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Default what size cage do you prefer?

I know different countries have recommended minimum sizes but what size cage do you find works best regardless of whether it’s bigger or smaller than the recommended minimum for your country?

For Russian Dwarfs the smallest size cage I’ve found I can keep them in happily is 70 x 40cm, not including very old or anxious hammies that may benefit from a smaller space (Stephano and Stormy). I try to stick to between 70 x 40 and 80 x 50 for my Russian cages which I feel is plenty of space to create an enriching environment for them. Of course every hamster is different and in the future I might come across a Russian hammie that would benefit from a 100cm+ cage but with the 6 I have/had 70x40 to 80x50 works well.

For hospital/retirement/starter* cages for Russians my minimum is usually the mini Duna (55x40cm) though I do have a Spelos xl which is a bit smaller that I picked up super cheap as an emergency hospital cage for a very weak and inactive old hamster.

*starter cage for very anxious hammies that need time to adapt to a larger space. I’m currently using a starter cage for Stormy.
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Old 11-21-2018, 12:22 AM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: what size cage do you prefer?

It depends on the individual hamster & how much space they enjoy & are comfortable with but mostly for my Russians & Chinese I use an 80x50cm cage although a few have wanted more space & had 100x50cm.
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Old 11-21-2018, 08:17 PM   #3
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Default Re: what size cage do you prefer?

I totally agree with cypher on this one! All hams have their individual needs and preferences. I have only owned two hams so I can’t really say but I think 700 sq. in. I feel like this provided enough room for your ham to run and you can put quite a bit of toys in!
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Old 11-22-2018, 07:49 AM   #4
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Default Re: what size cage do you prefer?

My hybrid dwarf hamstwr Popcorn seems happy in the hamster heaven. He uses all the space and would probably be fine in a bigger cage too.

Tarak (syrian) is in the living world eco at just under 100 x 50 and would happily have loads more space. All my syrians have been good with 100 x 50cm cages.

My lovely roborovski, Mallow has a 100 x 50cm cage and I feel that anything less would be too small for him.

Only one of my previous roborovskis (Flower, rip) wanted a smaller cage and was very contented in her grosvenor 77 x 47cm cage.

I like bigger cages cos they are fun to set up in interesting ways and need cleanimg less often!

I also tend to prefer barred cages as the hamsters can get more air to sniff and feel closer somehow ie easier to interact with.

Tarak will be moving into a barred cage in the Spring.

Tank style cages are wonderful for viewing purposes, great for lack of draughts and wonderful for tidiness, no bedding, food or sand falling through the sides!
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Old 11-23-2018, 05:08 PM   #5
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Default Re: what size cage do you prefer?

I like 100 x 50 cages for Syrians - I like to put a lot of big stuff in them to make them interesting. An 80 x 50 ish cage is fine too depending on how you want to set it up. Also some depends on the hamster. Some hamsters are happy with an 80 x 50 - some want masses of space and nothing is big enough. 100 x 50 is my goto size.

Only had/have one dwarf hammy - a robo. He's in an 80 x 50 and happy with it but I know he'd appreciate something bigger - he uses the whole cage.
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Old 11-23-2018, 05:52 PM   #6
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Default Re: what size cage do you prefer?

I always like to try hamsters in the largest possible space. Just thinking that they're happy in a current setup doesn't quite sit right with me to be honest, you cannot properly communicate with hamsters and you can never be 100% sure they're finding it big enough.
In my experience shy hamsters moving into large cages has benefited them too, just with the exception of one. They completely came out of their shells and got quite outgoing. I wonder whether the cage wasn't interesting enough so their normal hamster behaviours shut down, almost, or if the smaller space made them a little claustrophobic or something. Either way it's not something I expected to see and after witnessing that, I always try to upgrade my hamsters if they're younger. Chocho has taken 2 main upgrades to get to where she is now, and the bit of stress she went through during upgrades compared to how happy she is now is just negligible. There is a big difference between a hamster that is content and a hamster that is thriving.

Syrians - I do think they need significantly more room than any dwarf hams. I'd probably give them at least double the floor space of what I'd give a dwarf. There are just too many cases when Syrians aren't content in their cages and more often than not it's down to the size. It's a shame that in this country cage size is often limited by the cages available to buy - like the Barney or Alexander. And price too - for example thinking the Barney and Alaska are equally good Syrian cages just because the Alaska is cheap. I don't think the £20 difference is a good reason at all to house a Syrian in something smaller for their lifetime. Really, cage prices shouldn't even come into the equation - most hamster cages are very cheap compared to what enclosures for other caged pets cost!

Lots of female Syrians in particular, need more room than even a Barney can provide. I know 80x50cm has been considered ok for Syrians for years now but after putting a 11" wheel and Syrian sized house in there, there really isn't any room to do much else with the cage no matter how nicely it's set up. The cage bases of that size cage are often quite shallow too, and Syrians do need much more bedding than what that allows. 100x50cm cages give a deeper base, often taller height and you can do significantly more with the space. Boredom and stress behaviours often vanish in 100x50cm cages after an upgrade. That's reason enough for 100x50cm to be my personal minimum really.
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Old 11-23-2018, 06:29 PM   #7
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Default Re: what size cage do you prefer?

It’s a lot easier to create an enriching habitat for a dwarf hamster, 80 x 50cm always seems so much smaller when set up for a Syrian! Sunflower was so restless before I upgraded him to his 100cm cage and he was only a baby! I think 80x50 can be okay for a Syrian depending on the personality and how his cage is set up but a lot do seem to prefer larger spaces (especially females).
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cage, smaller, space, size, minimum, russian, benefit, cages, hamster, hammies, anxious, stormy, recommended, works, 80x50, hospital/retirement/, russians, duna, mini, 70x40, have/had, starter, hammie, 100cm+, 55x40cm

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