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Old 01-10-2019, 04:27 AM   #1
xiaoyaoandhrisha
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Default Hamster cage size

Hey all, this is my first post and I was looking into getting some info about hamster cage size as it is such a huge topic on the internet.

I have several questions about hamster cage size:
1. In what size are your hamsters living in?
2. What is the best size for hamster cage in your opinion and why?
3. What is your best choice of hamster cage that is sold in offline/online pet stores?

Please help me out here and give me a piece of advice as I think it's very important to keep hamsters in appropriate size of cage to give them the best life possible.

And I hope this post will bring awareness how important it is to do your research about hamster enclosure and other things related to their well-being.

Thank you so much in advance.

Love,
XiaoYao and Hrisha's human mom. <3
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Old 01-10-2019, 05:18 PM   #2
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Hamster cage size

Our Syrian is in a 100cm x 54cm barred cage. Our Robo is in an 80cm x 50cm cage with narrow bar spacing. I would prefer him to also be in a 100cm cage but he is fine in the 80cm one.

For me 100cm cage is the sweet spot - plenty of space for enrichment and for them to keep reasonably active in the cage and also space for larger items like labyrinth houses or more than one wheel, plus a good depth of bedding.

Question 2 - this can depend on the personality of the hamster - for some syrians - no cage is big enough! Most are happy with 100cm cage. Some dwarf hamsters are very shy and don't like too much space - others are very active and confident and enjoy a large cage. My thoughts are - go with a 100cm cage - it can have areas blocked off with deep bedding and be made more cosy if a hamster is shy - and it's a good basic size for a Syrian.

Q3 - Zooplus have a good range of reasonably priced hamster cages that are good sizes - the Barney, Alexander and Alaska are all popular. Savic make the 100cm Savic Plaza also (sold by Pets at Home in the Uk but also in Europe).

Just wanted to add that the set up and enrichment is important - a large cage without much in it isn't good for a hamster. And it's important that they have a good sized house/nesting box in the cage so they can build a big nest and have somewhere dark to retreat to - and a shelf or platform.
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Old 01-10-2019, 06:09 PM   #3
alpacassei
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Default Re: Hamster cage size

Petal (Russian) is in the Criceti 15 (80x50cm), Stormy (Russian) is in the 133L Wham bin cage (100 x 40cm), Sundae (Robo) is also in a 133L Wham bin, Bigfoot (Syrian) is in the Alaska (80x50cm), and Sunflower is in the 160L RUB clear trunk (100x50cm).

Between 70 x 40cm and 80 x 50cm is a good size for Russian dwarfs, adult Robos need between 80 x 50 and 100 x 50 but they’re quite shy so some benefit from having a smaller starter cage as babies, male Syrians between 80 x 50 and 100 x 50, female Syrians between 100 x 50 and 120 x 50, I’ve never had a chinese hamster but I’m sure someone will offer advice soon. These are just my recommended minimums though and almost all hamsters benefit from having the largest space possible.

I’m most experienced with Russian dwarfs and my favourite cages for them are: Criceti 15, Ruffy 2, Duna Multy, Maxi Duna Multy, and Grosvenor.
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Old 01-11-2019, 02:34 AM   #4
Fluffagrams
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Default Re: Hamster cage size

Most of my Chinese are in bin cages that are about 60cm x 40 cm which seems to suit them well but I tend to believe in a flexible approach to my hamster's caging, choosing and upgrading a cage according to the hamster's individual personality and needs. I find that getting to know the hamster as an individual and learning to read their body laguage is a key to my methods and recentely I found that one of my girls was showing signs that she needed more space so I upgraded her to an 80cm x 50cm wire cage and she loves it but such a cage would be hard on my most reclusive, nervy Chinese who has never been content in anything bigger than a Mini Duna.

I tend to start the youngsters in something lke a Mini Duna and then move them into one of the bin cages when they're more used to living on their own.

One thing I have noticed about Chinese is that they can be particularly sensitive to too much space and in the past I used to agree with the 'bigger is always better' but one Chinese taught me that I needed to be more flexible on that because, despite multiple adjustments to his larger cage to provide more cover, he was still unsettled that even his own shadow semed to send him darting for cover. He was reluctant to come out for food and drink and that was an unusual behaviour from a hamster that had previously been calm. I have found that Chinese Hamsters from pet shops generally seem to prefer larger cages than those from club breeders.

Because I have such a flexible approach to caging, I find it difficult to suggest 'the best' cage size for a hamster because there is so many different things to consider. Generally speaking, I wouldn't be putting a Syrian in a Mini Duna for example unless they were unwell and needed everything close as hand or it was being used as a transit cage but I would use it for a Chinese or Roborovski depending on the hamster's nature. However, if someone asked me for my opinion on what cage they should choose for a pet Syrian, I would suggest something of about 80cm x 50cm as a starting point.

In answer to your third question, I generally prefer to use bin cages for my hamasters but do like the Savic Hamster Heaven as I found that it had a good sturdy build quality and the larger front door allowed things like toys to be placed into the cage without needing to remove the top of the cage.
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Old 01-11-2019, 07:15 AM   #5
cypher
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Default Re: Hamster cage size

I totally agree that it can very much depend on the individual hamster & some are happier with more space than others but I generally keep my Russian & Chinese hamsters in cages that are 80x50cm, I have kept both species in 100x50cm cages when they clearly enjoyed & wanted more space.
I find it very difficult to provide enough enrichment along with a good size house & wheel in anything under 80x50cm but how you set up a cage can be just as important as size, most hams don't like too much open space & all enjoy a really deep layer of substrate to dig & burrow in.
Which cages are available will depend on what country you're in but I find the hamster heaven (without the penthouse & tubes) to be a good basic cage. My favourite cage is the Marchioro Kevin 82 but sadly it's no longer available in the uK.
I would say that you are unlikely to find a good size cage in a pet shop & the better sized ones are usually found online.
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Old 01-11-2019, 12:50 PM   #6
alpacassei
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Default Re: Hamster cage size

The best cages you’ll find in a pet shop in the UK will be the Hamster Heaven (80 x 50), Ruffy 2 (80 x 50), p@h Extra Large Wire Cage (70 x 40), and possibly the Duna Multy (70 x 40). The Criecti 15 (80 x 50) and Savic Plaza (100 x 50) can be ordered to collect at P@H stores, usually a day or two later.
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