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Pebbles82 · 07-28-2021, 01:14 PM

Hi there. What are the length, depth and height measurements of your cage? Although people talk about minimum square inch sizes in the US, this is not a hard and fast thing with hamsters and not so long ago 450 square inches was seen as a good minimum! It is also not a legal size but one that people generally feel is the minimum recommended in the US.

I think the dimensions are just as important as the square inches. A long narrow cage of 600 sq inches is not as good as a deeper cage of 500 square inches!

Also some breeders like to start their hamsters in a slightly smaller cage for taming and then upgrade them later. If your cage is a reasonable size (which 450 square inches doesn't sound too bad) like 75cm by 45cm eg or 80cm by 50cm - then it is probably fine as a starter cage for a young hamster and no great rush to upgrade - wait until you can afford something maybe.

The main thing meanwhile is give plenty of enrichment. A good house for nesting, a level if you can, floor toys like a tube/tunnel and hidey places. Plenty of out of cage time (if the hamster wants it). 4 to 6" substrate minimum. Some hamsters aren't that bothered by digging but they do like a decent sized house to build a big cosy nest in.

07-28-2021, 01:14 PM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Help...please!!! Hi there. What are the length, depth and height measurements of your cage? Although people talk about minimum square inch sizes in the US, this is not a hard and fast thing with hamsters and not so long ago 450 square inches was seen as a good minimum! It is also not a legal size but one that people generally feel is the minimum recommended in the US. I think the dimensions are just as important as the square inches. A long narrow cage of 600 sq inches is not as good as a deeper cage of 500 square inches! Also some breeders like to start their hamsters in a slightly smaller cage for taming and then upgrade them later. If your cage is a reasonable size (which 450 square inches doesn't sound too bad) like 75cm by 45cm eg or 80cm by 50cm - then it is probably fine as a starter cage for a young hamster and no great rush to upgrade - wait until you can afford something maybe. The main thing meanwhile is give plenty of enrichment. A good house for nesting, a level if you can, floor toys like a tube/tunnel and hidey places. Plenty of out of cage time (if the hamster wants it). 4 to 6" substrate minimum. Some hamsters aren't that bothered by digging but they do like a decent sized house to build a big cosy nest in.