Hamsters might be petite animals, but they still need plenty of room in their cage to forage, burrow, run, and explore. Our pet’s wild cousins run up to 6 miles a day, going back and forth while foraging and bringing the food they find to their underground chambers. It’s important to allow our pets to express their natural instincts and provide enough stimulation by choosing a spacious cage.
While keeping hamsters in small cages that lack enrichment is still very common, the word is slowly getting out there, and more and more people are choosing larger enclosures.
If you’re wondering how big of a cage your hamster needs, we bring you an overview of minimum cage size standards by different animal welfare organizations and the standards we follow ourselves.
Minimum Hamster Cage Size Standards
How big should a hamster cage be, exactly? That depends greatly on who you ask.
Most pet stores are only interested in filling their cash registers with money; animals’ well-being is secondary at best. Selling small cages also makes hamster keeping more accessible to potential pet owners who want a cheap pet that doesn’t take much room. This benefits pet stores by increasing the “pool” of potential customers.
On the other hand, animal welfare organizations and charities try to improve the standards and work on pushing laws that benefit our pets. While there are many different opinions on how big a hamster cage should be, all animal welfare organizations agree on one thing – the bigger, the better!
Let’s look at what animal welfare organizations worldwide recommend as the minimum hamster cage size.
Blue Cross
Blue Cross is a registered animal welfare charity founded in the United Kingdom. They note that the ideal cage should have no less than 100cm x 50cm of floor space and be 50cm tall for both Syrian and dwarf hamsters.
Syrian & dwarf hamsters
- Minimum Floor Space: 775 sq. in. or 5000 cm²
- Minimum Cage Dimensions (LxWxH): 100 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm
Woodgreen
Woodgreen is an animal charity and shelter founded way back in 1924 in the UK. They are a multi-species charity, caring for a broad range of pets needing help, including hamsters.
Syrian hamsters
- Minimum Floor Space: 620 sq. in. or 4000 cm²
- Minimum Cage Dimensions (LxWxH): 80 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm
Dwarf hamsters
- Minimum Floor Space: 620 sq. in. or 4000 cm²
- Minimum Cage Dimensions (LxWxH): 80 cm x 50 cm x 35 cm
- 5000 cm² or 775 sq. in.
They placed 45 male golden hamsters in cages with varying depths of bedding (80 cm, 40 cm, or 10 cm) and observed their behavior, focusing on their use of running wheels and wire gnawing.
The findings revealed that hamsters in the group with the least bedding (10 cm) exhibited higher levels of wire gnawing and increased running wheel activity compared to the other groups. On the other hand, hamsters in the group with the most bedding (80 cm) displayed more digging and burrow construction behavior, which they utilized for shelter.
This study suggests that providing golden hamsters with a minimum of 40 cm of bedding can enhance their well-being and reduce stress levels.
In the wild, hamsters create burrows ranging from 36 – 106 cm in depth, with multiple chambers serving different purposes like nesting and food storage. While replicating this in captivity is not feasible, offering a deep substrate for digging and burrowing is essential.
Therefore, it is crucial to select a spacious cage that can accommodate a substantial amount of bedding for your hamster to engage in natural behaviors. Here are the recommended bedding depth standards:
- Minimum of 6 inches, preferably 10 inches – for dwarf species and Chinese hamsters
- Minimum of 10 inches, preferably 12 inches or more – for Syrian hamsters
Enrichment
In addition to bedding, offering diverse textures like a sand bath, additional digging areas, chewable toys, foraging opportunities, and various cage accessories such as hideouts, platforms, bridges, tunnels, and a running wheel is essential for your hamster’s enrichment.
Refer to my hamster cage setup guide for detailed information on creating an engaging and stimulating environment for your pet.
Conclusion
Recent advancements in hamster care standards have shifted towards providing larger enclosures that mimic their natural habitats, marking a significant improvement from confining them to small cages.
By understanding the specific needs of hamsters and ensuring they have adequate space, we can enhance their quality of life, advocate for better care practices in pet stores, and encourage new hamster owners to prioritize their pets’ well-being.
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The cat slowly walked across the room, its tail swishing back and forth.
The feline crept leisurely through the room, its tail flicking from side to side.