[otto]

hmmm. A male Syrian should be happy, but if you can’t upgrade then maybe a dwarf is your best bet as they will definitely be content in an area of that size. I think it’s around 850sq inches in studies where they are pretty happy. I agree with the others in terms of cage layout.

My boy is in a 1200sq in enclosure and he wasn’t happy the first month or so. Consistently trying to escape. Did escape. We had to make a raised lid that in the end gave about 80cm of height to keep him in. I was upset and immediately set out noting down ideas about a bigger DIY. He had a ton of hideaways in there, 12inches + of bedding, but he wasn’t happy. It was quite soul destroying actually because I felt absolutely evil despite putting my best efforts in to keeping him happy. It wasn’t nice. Especially reading all these threads about happy hamsters and wondering what I was doing wrong. In the end I waited it out, brought more items to cover the expanse of the cage, and in getting a little older he seems to have calmed down... (unless i’ve just got better at sleeping through it lol)

So you could try a Syrian but be prepared for sleepless nights and stress if you manage to end up with one that is more demanding. Be prepared to spend a lot on supplies to switch it up for them. On the flip side you have the experiences of the people above, with smaller cages and content hamsters.

If your heart is with a Syrian (the same as mine...), then go for a Syrian. 1000sq inches is bigger than most can offer and think of it as saving the little guy you get from something 500sq inches or less which he would most likely be put in. The accessories you can give make a big difference, so really crowed the cage. If you don’t they’ll feel unsafe and act quite erratic. (In fact I think accessories are on a par with cage size. If you have a 5000sq inch cage with a few tunnels your hamster will be horrifically stressed.) In the first month monitor your hamster, see what he likes. Hiding under platforms, climbing (I know people say hamsters don’t climb but after owning a few I don’t really agree pahaha. My boy ALWAYS choses to climb instead of using the ladders i’ve given him.), digging around, different substrates? Adapt the cage to fit his wants.

Good luck and go with your gut! I just had a look and it’s saying 44 gal has around 490sq inches? You had a female in that size so there was possibility of showing signs of slight unhappiness as they can be that much more active than boys. So don’t let that past experience change your mind about what species to own, this time round will be completely different as your cage is literally double the size!