What kind of hamster will be content in 1000 sq. inch cage?

xosunflowerox · 08-04-2022, 04:55 PM

Hi all,

I had a female Syrian hamster a couple of years ago. I had her in the 44 gallon container store bin cage. Though the cage was big, she was still showing signs of unhappiness.

I just bought the large Niteangel vista and set it up. I believe it's a bit over 1000 square inches. I spent a lot of money on it. It is also taking up a good chunk of my apartment. I very likely won't be able to upgrade if the hamster is unhappy.

I really love Syrians, but won't get another female. What are the chances of a male Syrian being happy and fulfilled in this size cage? The cage will have 12" of bedding, large wheel, platforms, toys, chews, etc.

It will break my heart if my future hamster doesn't like the cage. Would a dwarf hamster be my best bet? Or can I get away with a male Syrian?

AmityvilleHams · 08-04-2022, 05:10 PM

Male Syrians can be easier to please than females. However, a dwarf hamster would most definitely be very happy in a cage that size with plenty overhead cover. The cage set up can make a huge difference with dwarf hamsters though - especially when you have enough overhead cover that they feel confident enough to really use the entire cage.

xosunflowerox · 08-05-2022, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

Male Syrians can be easier to please than females. However, a dwarf hamster would most definitely be very happy in a cage that size with plenty overhead cover. The cage set up can make a huge difference with dwarf hamsters though - especially when you have enough overhead cover that they feel confident enough to really use the entire cage.

Good to know. I just have a few items right now. A large labyrinth type hideaway with three rooms, the wheel, two platforms, a sand bath, a bridge/ladder, and wooden hallow log. I'll be sure to buy some more things so there's little open area in the cage.

Pebbles82 · 08-04-2022, 06:08 PM

I'm trying to work out what 1000 square inches is in length and width in cm! Ok it's at least 120cm by 50cm. Which is a very large cage and I am sure a male Syrian would be very happy in there. Most females would be as well (although for some females, no cage is big enough!). Even the most active of male syrians should be very happy in there.

The key may be to how it's set up - not only enough depth of bedding but plenty of overhead cover - eg a platform and a labyrinth house plus lots of floor tunnels and hidey places. So they have places to dive under and not too much open space above - it can make a big difference - especially if it's a tank style and you can't have things hanging from the roof to give overhead cover.

So maybe a platform one end, a labyrinth house the other end (it'll need to be on legs to sit above the bedding), large cork logs make good floor tunnels - the extra height is like overhead cover - and it's an interesting texture to climb over. They can also make a good ramp up to a platform if wedged partly underneath at an angle.

Some dwarf hamsters might actually be overwhelmed by the space - that would very much depend on personality.

Ria P · 08-04-2022, 11:07 PM

I think keeping a hamster happy is not only about cage size.

I currently have four male Syrians and they all happily live in cages smaller than yours but also get and enjoy regular out of cage time.

You could look into getting a male Syrian from a rescue where the personality and needs of the hamster is already known.

xosunflowerox · 08-05-2022, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

I'm trying to work out what 1000 square inches is in length and width in cm! Ok it's at least 120cm by 50cm. Which is a very large cage and I am sure a male Syrian would be very happy in there. Most females would be as well (although for some females, no cage is big enough!). Even the most active of male syrians should be very happy in there.

The key may be to how it's set up - not only enough depth of bedding but plenty of overhead cover - eg a platform and a labyrinth house plus lots of floor tunnels and hidey places. So they have places to dive under and not too much open space above - it can make a big difference - especially if it's a tank style and you can't have things hanging from the roof to give overhead cover.

So maybe a platform one end, a labyrinth house the other end (it'll need to be on legs to sit above the bedding), large cork logs make good floor tunnels - the extra height is like overhead cover - and it's an interesting texture to climb over. They can also make a good ramp up to a platform if wedged partly underneath at an angle.

Some dwarf hamsters might actually be overwhelmed by the space - that would very much depend on personality.

Thanks for the tips! Here's the cage, I have the large size: Amazon.com

I'm really hoping a male Syrian will be happy. I'll order some cork logs as well.

Pebbles82 · 08-05-2022, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xosunflowerox

Thanks for the tips! Here's the cage, I have the large size: Amazon.com

I'm really hoping a male Syrian will be happy. I'll order some cork logs as well.

It looks great - I'm sure any Syrian would be happy in there.

The Iris Christmas Tree bin is a great size too - if that's the one your female syrian wasn't happy with it could possible have been the dimensions or it being a bin and not open visibility perhaps. It's very long but I'm not sure how wide it is.

The cage you have now is a good width/depth.

otto · 08-05-2022, 01:58 AM

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!

xosunflowerox · 08-05-2022, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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!

I'm sorry to hear about your experience, but glad to hear it's going better! So they key is to have the cage a bit cluttered with little open space? I really want to Syrian, but I think I would be fine with a dwarf. I have an appointment with a breeder tonight where I'll look at both types of hamsters.

The bin I had my last hamster is in exclusive to the US, I think. It's the same as the IRIS Christmas tree bin, also in the US only, I think. It was around 800 square inches. It's the biggest bin available in the US.
Iris 44 gal. Storage Tote with Wheels | The Container Store

otto · 08-05-2022, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xosunflowerox

I'm sorry to hear about your experience, but glad to hear it's going better! So they key is to have the cage a bit cluttered with little open space? I really want to Syrian, but I think I would be fine with a dwarf. I have an appointment with a breeder tonight where I'll look at both types of hamsters.

The bin I had my last hamster is in exclusive to the US, I think. It's the same as the IRIS Christmas tree bin, also in the US only, I think. It was around 800 square inches. It's the biggest bin available in the US.
Iris 44 gal. Storage Tote with Wheels | The Container Store

Hehe, thank you! I honestly think I should’ve put him in a smaller cage and then upgraded him into his main cage at a few months old so he’d be more pleased with it... maybe that’s something you could try? Has anyone else had good experiences with starting them off in a smaller cage to help initiate taming?

And yes, correct. Clutter is so important, and I’d even say at times more important than cage size... Cork logs, grapevine wood, wooden dividers to add height and levels to climb + separate textures such as beech + cork chips, moss etc. All ideas!

If you’re going to a breeder, you have the ability to try and select a Syrian from two parents that are calmer... or at least the breeder could direct you to a baby that seems to be a bit less hyper?

Sorry! I did a quick google and it said 490sq inches, I apologise! Yeah... then that proves it’s female hammys for you lol

I’d get a Syrian if I were you. You’re able to provide good space, good enrichment and you’ll probably like the little fella more if you’re bias towards Syrians. Go for it! I would do ANYTHING to get my hands on a Vista or Bigger World, & i’m sure your future hammy would too. Have fun decorating it!