Hamster Cage 101

For our hamsters, we require 600 square inches or more of unbroken floorspace as the absolute bare minimum. This matches the size of a 50 gallon tote. However, the cages on Amazon we recommend are all bigger than that. We no longer recommend bar cages now that new larger cages have come to market. If you do have a bar cage currently, do note that the ar spacing must be 1/2 inch or smaller. 

The reason we require extra space is for two main reasons!

1. All hamsters deserve enrichment and larger cages allow for burrowing. 
2. Syrian hamsters require larger wheels, sand baths, and other accessories--more room provides this space + plenty of area to run and play!

To find the area of your cage:

1. Turn the cage over (if bottom is smaller than the top)
2. Measure the length and width of the bottom of the cage.
3. Multiply these measurements together.

 (Ex. A cage that is 30" long and 18" wide = 30 x 18 = 540 square inches)

While aspen wood bedding is also considered safe, we find that hamsters just do so much better on paper-based bedding. See our Cage shopping list for more bedding options. 

Again, our hamsters are just chunky, so bigger is better! We have great recommendations on our wheel page to help you find the right wheel for you.

Hamsters just need a sand bath! Your hamster comes home potty trained, and will pee pretty reliably in sand. By providing a sand bath, you offer them important enrichment and keep your cage cleaner--all in one!

We use most highly recommend Oasis Bell Bottles. They attach to any cage and are chew-proof! 

Food dishes are an opportunity to be creative, but you will probably need larger than you think!

Offering lots of toys and stimulation is super important to your hamster's health and happiness! See our fave products for ideas!

Get everything but the Hamster on Amazon! 

It's natural to them! Hamsters in the wild hold large territories--one study found 387 feet to be the closest distance between occupied hamster burrows! Wild hamsters also dig deep, complex burrows, averaging about 2 feet in depth (source) 

What does this mean for our pet hamsters? They need as much space we can give them!

Reduction in stress behaviors

To answer this question in full, we need to examine what happens if this space is not provided. Small cages (cages under the minimum) are associated with severe stress behaviours, such as:

1. Biting & cage aggression

2. Bar chewing (source)

3. Excessive wheel running

Additionally, small cages have been shown to induce chronic physiological stress in hamsters. (source)

Providing a large cage alleviates many of these, giving you a healthier, happier pet. This enhances your experience with them too!

Less frequent, more natural cleaning schedule

By providing a larger cage, you reduce the amount of cleaning you will need to do! Depending on your pet's species and the ultimate size of your cage, you can go anywhere from 4-8 weeks between full cleanings! Simply spot clean regularly.

This is great for a number of reasons! First, it saves you time and money. Second, it is much healthier for your hamster. This source shows that hamsters prefer old bedding. They actually will choose to nest in a worse cage with old bedding over nesting in a better environment with new bedding--but that's no excuse to have a small cage. Providing a large with with less frequent cleanings is the most natural for them.

Space for appropriate enrichment

Lastly, larger cages gives you space for all the toys and enrichment your hamster needs. As discussed on our wheel page, hamsters need larger wheels than most cages allow for. They also prefer having lots of places to hide, and lots of mental stimulation. 

Additionally, larger cages typically allow room for deeper bedding over small cages. This is healthier for your hamster, as it mimics their natural instincts. This source, for example, correlates shallow bedding depth with the occurrence of stress-related behaviors such as bar chewing and excessive running. It also shows that deeper bedding reduces these behaviours and improves body condition. These studies (study 1 & study 2) note the negative effects that shallow bedding has on hamster sleep over deep bedding.