So true, you guys. There is so much more to caring for a hamster than giving it a certain amount of cage space, or certain food, or certain toys; and I wholeheartedly agree that we should simply pay close attention to our hamsters. However, you are right in that the general population can easily miss cues given by a hamster.
What do you guys think are behaviors which suggest a hamster might need a larger cage? For example, AmityvilleHams said pacing, and I'll give another common one: bar-chewing, especially incessant bar-chewing. Maybe we need a thread: "how to tell if your hamster needs more space?" Or even, "how to find the right size cage for your hamster." Maybe threads like this already exist? I think it's definitely worth discussing, anyway.
Another point I wanted to make is that I think these "stress behaviors" (aka stereotypies) can be alleviated with things other than cage space. I wanted to explore that more in order to see how much of a difference cage space actually makes, and find out what is most important to a hamster. Which behaviors suggest a hamster is bored, and which behaviors suggest a hamster is cramped? Certainly, bigger is usually better - but how big do we really need to get in order to fulfill a small hamster?
As for leaving some bedding in the cage so the hamster has its own familiar scent, I pretty much do that too. I only spray and wipe out cages if it really needs it, and for the spray I just use vinegar. Otherwise, when I scoop bedding, I'll leave some remnants. I also don't wash furnishings and accessories unless they become heavily soiled (like if they get peed on). The hamsters often trade accessories; I think that's interesting and stimulating for them because the shifted around furniture has a lot of new smells on it when they get it; it's not "clean."
Some musings...the more comfortable I get with you guys, the more of these you will get:
Living in a cage is unnatural. Many of us live "unnatural" lives, and we adapt just the same. Best case scenario, a hamster would be free to roam wherever it wanted. Though, even in the wild, a hamster wouldn't be "free" to roam. (As a human, I certainly don't feel free to roam anywhere, except in my own house [cage].) There would be dangers such as predators, poisonous/inedible things, water to fall in. There would be a lot of stimulation and challenges and stress.
In a cage, we take those stimulating, unpredictable aspects away, and we give the hamster unlimited food, water, warmth, safety, and security. At a price: it is generally not free to make choices for itself beyond the walls of its cage. It no longer has to do much of anything or think about anything to survive. Living in a cage is interesting. In the wild, you're never alone. In a cage, you're always alone.
I have a little anecdote for you guys too. The other day, my daughter was holding our mice, and she accidentally let a few go in the basement. (I have a live trap coming in the mail so I don't have to catch any more escaped rodents by hand...) One of them was found crawling on my husband in bed (much to his dismay), and the other one was MIA. Several days after her disappearance, the same daughter who lost her came upstairs saying, "I found a mouse!"
The mouse was found in the most bizarre, open, high-traffic spot possible. She was trying to climb up the underside of the carpeted basement stairs, clinging to the carpet. I think she was trying to get to the mouse tank, which is on a table underneath the staircase. The edges of the stairs overhang right next to the tank. It seemed the mouse was more concerned with having her sisters, her warm nest, and unlimited food than having lots of free space.
It makes me wonder how hamsters feel about their cages. I wonder if/how living in a cage and essentially never having a purpose affects a hamster's psyche, or if they just kind of always live in the moment, blissfully unaware and without a care?
Maybe I think too much.
