Hamster Housing
Choosing a suitable cage for your hamster(s) should be one of the most important decisions for each hamster owner. Bare in mind that the cage is like house same as for us human. All of us want to live in a safe, comfortable and clean home. Your hamster(s) should have the same rights and it is your responsibility to provide them with suitable living place to keep them happy, active and healthy.There are several factors to consider when selecting hamster cages
The Cage
Cage Size
The cage should have ample room for the hamster to do their favorite activity and exercise!. For a solitary Syrian hamster, the cage should at least able to fit an exercise wheel and some extra space to live and doing other things. A small box that could act as a bedroom also recommended as the hamster usually prefers to have privacy when goes to sleep.Dwarf hamsters should need a bigger space as we need to take into consideration that dwarf hamsters prefer to live in groups. So we need a cage that at least could cater for two of them plus spaces for them to play and sleep. If you are planning to allow your hamster to breed, a bigger cage will be needed. Provide enough room for the hamsters to have their private spaces especially for a pregnant or nursing mother.
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Safety
Barred cages are commonly used as a hamster cage. For this type of cage, make sure the bars are close enough so that the hamsters couldn't slip through. This problem commonly occurs to dwarf hamsters or baby hamsters due to their small body size.If you have other types of pets such as cats or dogs in your house, choose other types of cages such as aquarium or plastic modular cages rather than barred cages to prevent any unwanted circumstances.
Easy to Clean
Choose a cage that will not give you headaches to clean up. A tedious cleaning job could make some people bored and might end up doing improper cleaning or even didn't do the cleaning job regularly enough.
Expandability
Some cages are designed to allow future expansion possible. Usually these types of cages are quite expensive. A simple cage could be expandable up to being just like a castle for hamsters. Unless you can afford it, this feature is rather optional.
Bedding
You should never use cedar chips for your hamster as these have harmful chemicals that can cause breathing problems. The safest to use is paper based bedding but you can also use aspen or kiln dried pine. Never use pelted bedding as they might ingest it and get sick.
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What You Need In The Cage
Wheel
This is a must have for any hamster cage. This will prevent boredom and it is great for exercise. Never use a wheel that is made of wire or has spacing because the hamsters legs could fall through and break.
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Dust Bath
Not all hamsters like this but it is a good idea for a roborovski hamster. It will help to control oil and it is a natural instinct for them to roll in the dirt.
Click here for some dust and dust bath ideas
Water Bottle
A water bottle should be used instead of a bowl because the hamster could fall in it and get water in its nose. There is also a less chance for bacteria to grow and it will not need to be cleaned out as often.
Food Bowl
This will probably need to be filled up every couple of days. Even thought all the food is gone after the first day he has probably just hid it all.