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Pebbles82 · 01-18-2019, 06:53 AM

The Ferplast Favola is small - mainly the issue is the depth of only 35cm. It's a shame because it's a lovely design with the clear plastic base and lower cages mean less fall risks.

Some dwarf hamsters are happier in smaller cages I believe - providing you can give enough enrichment in it and they have plenty of out of cage time. I have only had Syrians and a Roborovski - our Roborovski is in an 80cm by 50cm cage and loves it and has a lot of enrichment. Some Russian dwarf owners find a smaller cage works well - depending on the hamster.

The size guidelines originally came from the RSPCA in the Uk - and they were a minimum floorspace area of 70cm x 40cm for a dwarf hamster and 80cm by 50cm for a Syrian hamster, Those minimum recommended sizes have been adopted by most animal charities in the Uk and most owners find they are about right. Personally I think 100 x 50 is better for a Syrian hamster.

The RSPCA no longer gives minimum recommended sizes but just says - as much floor area as possible - after allowing space for houses, wheels, toys etc and that hamsters need a lot of space, especially at night (when they are at their most active).

The Germans have a welfare minimum size of 100cm by 50cm and a recommended minimum size of 1 metre square.

Hamsters do vary in their personality - some are more shy and less active and some are so active that no cage is big enough. However they do need a lot of exercise and can develop arthritis or weak back leg muscles if they can't move around enough or get enough exercise. A wheel isn't enough. So if they are in a smaller cage, it can be good as a starter cage, or they need plenty of out of cage time.

They do like to be cosy as well. For example I have a large house (the size of some small cages!) inside a 100cm by 50cm cage. Our hamster loves his house and spends a lot of time in it but he also enjoys the space in the rest of the cage and has places to go and things to do at night when he's active.

The "not including levels" bit speaks for itself when minimum sizes talk about "floor area" - it is the floor area that is most important as hamsters are basically ground dwellers - even if they do climb. They tend to only climb for two reasons 1) to escape 2) to reach something that isn't at floor level!

A level is good though and adds room for additional items on the shelf for enrichment and gives them overhead cover - they like to dive under a shelf or sit under it. Too much open space over their heads can mean they hide away a bit.

In the Us I don't think there is a welfare minimum other than at least a 10 gallon tank recommended - which is far too small. Hamster forums in the US set a minimum size of so many square inches - it used to be 360 and now 450 I think. But the key focus is on enrichment these days (that is what the RSPCA focuses on now) - plenty of substrate, variety, tunnels, places to go things to do - a shelf to sit on, lots of hidey places, different textures, that kind of thing.

The argument I usually make is that you can't have good enrichment without a cage being at least a certain size and I think the 70 x 40 and 80 x 50 minimums are about right. With exceptions. Sick or older hamsters may need a hospital cage, or a particularly nervous hamster may need a smaller cage. But the danger there is that can lead to people telling themselves that a small cage is alright.

I think of the cage as their habitat and the house/nesting box as their home.

The other thing is when talking about "floor space" - that means continuous floor space. Two smaller cages joined together don't count as one continuous floorspace. It is ok to add another cage but one of them needs to be at least 80 x 50cm. And then you'd find the smaller one probably wouldn't be used.

The reason for that is - the cage is their habitat and they have different areas for doing different things - you wouldn't want to go next door every time you needed the toilet!

01-18-2019, 06:53 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: States Ferplast Favola The Ferplast Favola is small - mainly the issue is the depth of only 35cm. It's a shame because it's a lovely design with the clear plastic base and lower cages mean less fall risks. Some dwarf hamsters are happier in smaller cages I believe - providing you can give enough enrichment in it and they have plenty of out of cage time. I have only had Syrians and a Roborovski - our Roborovski is in an 80cm by 50cm cage and loves it and has a lot of enrichment. Some Russian dwarf owners find a smaller cage works well - depending on the hamster. The size guidelines originally came from the RSPCA in the Uk - and they were a minimum floorspace area of 70cm x 40cm for a dwarf hamster and 80cm by 50cm for a Syrian hamster, Those minimum recommended sizes have been adopted by most animal charities in the Uk and most owners find they are about right. Personally I think 100 x 50 is better for a Syrian hamster. The RSPCA no longer gives minimum recommended sizes but just says - as much floor area as possible - after allowing space for houses, wheels, toys etc and that hamsters need a lot of space, especially at night (when they are at their most active). The Germans have a welfare minimum size of 100cm by 50cm and a recommended minimum size of 1 metre square. Hamsters do vary in their personality - some are more shy and less active and some are so active that no cage is big enough. However they do need a lot of exercise and can develop arthritis or weak back leg muscles if they can't move around enough or get enough exercise. A wheel isn't enough. So if they are in a smaller cage, it can be good as a starter cage, or they need plenty of out of cage time. They do like to be cosy as well. For example I have a large house (the size of some small cages!) inside a 100cm by 50cm cage. Our hamster loves his house and spends a lot of time in it but he also enjoys the space in the rest of the cage and has places to go and things to do at night when he's active. The "not including levels" bit speaks for itself when minimum sizes talk about "floor area" - it is the floor area that is most important as hamsters are basically ground dwellers - even if they do climb. They tend to only climb for two reasons 1) to escape 2) to reach something that isn't at floor level! A level is good though and adds room for additional items on the shelf for enrichment and gives them overhead cover - they like to dive under a shelf or sit under it. Too much open space over their heads can mean they hide away a bit. In the Us I don't think there is a welfare minimum other than at least a 10 gallon tank recommended - which is far too small. Hamster forums in the US set a minimum size of so many square inches - it used to be 360 and now 450 I think. But the key focus is on enrichment these days (that is what the RSPCA focuses on now) - plenty of substrate, variety, tunnels, places to go things to do - a shelf to sit on, lots of hidey places, different textures, that kind of thing. The argument I usually make is that you can't have good enrichment without a cage being at least a certain size and I think the 70 x 40 and 80 x 50 minimums are about right. With exceptions. Sick or older hamsters may need a hospital cage, or a particularly nervous hamster may need a smaller cage. But the danger there is that can lead to people telling themselves that a small cage is alright. I think of the cage as their habitat and the house/nesting box as their home. The other thing is when talking about "floor space" - that means continuous floor space. Two smaller cages joined together don't count as one continuous floorspace. It is ok to add another cage but one of them needs to be at least 80 x 50cm. And then you'd find the smaller one probably wouldn't be used. The reason for that is - the cage is their habitat and they have different areas for doing different things - you wouldn't want to go next door every time you needed the toilet!