Whether you’re new to the world of hamsters or just looking for some inspiration to upgrade your hamster’s living space, we bring you a complete guide on creating a cozy and enriching home for your hamster.
By creating a thoughtfully set-up hamster cage, you’re providing a dynamic environment that encourages your pet to stay active and engaged. Through exploration, digging, and foraging, your hamster can use up their energy in a healthy and natural way. On the other hand, a cage that lacks stimulation can cause stress and boredom, leading to unwanted behaviors such as cage biting.
While it may be tempting to keep things simple with a tiny cage and a minimalist cage setup, this type of living space would make your pet miserable. Hamsters are naturally energetic creatures that roam and forage for food all night in the wild. In fact, they can run up to 6 miles each day! Confining them to a tiny cage with limited space and enrichment fails to satisfy their instinctual needs and desires.
Here’s how to do a proper hamster cage setup, starting with getting a suitable cage.
A Suitable Cage
First things first, to be able to set up a hamster cage properly, you need to have a decent-sized cage. Unfortunately, those small hamster cages that you can purchase in a pet shop won’t work as they are smaller than the recommended ethical minimum. Those cages also don’t have enough room to fit all the accessories that a well-set-up hamster cage needs, such as deep bedding, a large wheel, a sand bath and other essentials.
Ideally, a hamster cage should be no less than 775 square inches or 5000 cm². Your options are buying a ready-made cage of that size or bigger, using a specious aquarium, or making a DIY cage out of a plastic bin or IKEA closet such as Detolf.
We have a detailed guide on the best hamster cages here so you can see your options if your current cage is not big enough. If you’re not sure your cage meets the minimum size requirements, check using this hamster cage calculator.
Safe & Deep Bedding
You have a big enough cage, and you’re ready to start setting it up and making it comfortable for your furry potato. The first thing you’ll need is bedding (substrate).
Hamsters are burrowing animals, so they need a deep layer of bedding to dig and create underground tunnels to chill in. They sleep in their burrow, away from all the dangers they think await them on the surface. Being able to burrow is essential for their well-being.
Unfortunately, it’s common for hamsters to be housed in cages with only an inch or two of bedding with no option to burrow. In those cases, owners often see their hamsters gnawing on the cage bars and wonder what the issue is. Hamsters get stressed when their needs are not met, and they can’t express their natural behaviors, so they start biting the bars. Research has shown that hamsters living in deeper bedding show significantly fewer signs of stress, such as cage biting.
How Much Bedding to Use?
So let’s get to the specifics – how much bedding do hamsters need? The bedding depth depends on the species of hamster you have. There’s a big difference in size between dwarf species and a Syrian hamster, while a Chinese hamster is somewhere in the middle.
- For dwarf species and Chinese hamsters, the minimum amount of bedding they need is 6 inches, although 10 inches is recommended – especially for Chinese hamsters, which are a bit larger.
- Syrian hamsters need at least 10 inches of bedding due to their size, but 12 inches is preferable.
Here’s another way to look at it. Imagine three hamsters placed one over the other. Could you bury them in the bedding? If so, it should be deep enough. If not, add more bedding until the top imaginary hamster is covered.
With our hamster bedding calculator, you can easily calculate how much bedding you need to buy for your cage, depending on the size of your cage and the desired bedding depth.
What to Use as Bedding?
Hamster owners most commonly use these two options as the main burrowing substrate:
- Paper bedding
- Aspen shavings (some products are not good at holding burrows and need to be reinforced with paper bedding and hay)
Hemp bedding is also safe, although it’s not very effective at holding burrows. You can use it to provide another texture to walk on, but best to stick with aspen or paper as the primary bedding.
Other safe textures you can add in a small part of the cage are coconut fiber, granule paper bedding, shredded cardboard, coco husk, and sphagnum moss.
The substrate you choose should be:
- Non-scented
- Able to hold burrows
- Non-toxic
Mixing different substrate types to add variety and different textures to interact with is always a good idea.
Nesting Material
In addition to the main bedding (substrate), it’s important to provide nesting material that your hamster can use to build their nest.
Sprinkle some soft hay, such as botanical or orchard, over their main bedding so your hamster can use it to build their nest.
Another good option for nesting material is toilet paper. Rip off a few toilet paper sheets and put them in the cage. Although toilet paper is not very absorbent, it’s fine to use for nesting as hamsters don’t tend to pee or poop in their nest.
Hidey House
Next on the setup list is a hidey house that your hamster can use to hide and feel protected while up on the ground.
Many people choose wooden houses for their hamsters instead of plastic because hamsters can safely chew wood.
Consider getting a wooden house without floors so you can easily clean up any leftover food or waste underneath it.
I recommend getting a multi-chamber house so your hamster can use different rooms for nesting and storing food, similar to what they would do in the wild.
A Wheel
Hamsters spend a lot of time running on their wheel, so it’s important to choose a safe wheel that won’t cause any harm.
When selecting a wheel for your hamster, keep the following in mind:
- Choose a wheel made of solid material to avoid trapping limbs or causing injuries to your hamster’s feet.
- Ensure the wheel is big enough to prevent back injuries. Here are the minimum wheel sizes for each hamster species:
- 8″ in diameter (20 cm) for dwarf species
- 10″ in diameter (25 cm) for Chinese hamsters
- 11’’ in diameter (28 cm) for Syrian hamsters
Avoid using a flying saucer as the primary wheel in the cage, as it is not a suitable substitute for a regular upright wheel.
Sand Bath
While hamsters are clean animals and groom themselves, a sand bath can help keep their skin and fur healthy and shiny.
Hamsters should not be bathed in water, as it is unnecessary and stressful. A sand bath can help remove dirt and oil from your pet’s coat.
To set up a sand bath in your hamster’s cage, use a shallow container filled with hamster-safe sand for them to roll around in.
Hamster-safe sand options include reptile sand, chinchilla bathing sand, and heat-treated children’s play sand. Avoid dust, scented, colored, or sand with added minerals or calcium.
Some hamsters may use a sand bath as a toilet, making spot cleaning easier. You can provide two sand baths in different parts of the cage to keep one clean for bathing.
Food & Water Accessories
While scattering food in the cage encourages foraging, a food bowl can help prevent fresh food from getting lost in the bedding and spoiling.
For water, you can use a water bowl or a bottle. Both options are safe, but ensure the water bottle is working properly to prevent dehydration.
Cage Accessories
In addition to essential cage supplies, you can add accessories like bridges, tunnels, and chew toys to make the cage more enriching for your hamster.
These accessories can help keep your pet entertained and provide mental and physical stimulation.
Consider adding cage furniture like cork logs, hideouts, wooden bridges, ladders, tunnels, and platforms. Chewables like chew toys, herbs, branches, cardboard tubes, and willow balls are also great additions.
Provide nesting material such as soft hay and toilet paper sheets, as well as other accessories like rocks for nail filing.
Hamster Cage Setup Videos
Watch some helpful videos for additional ideas and inspiration on setting up your hamster’s cage.
Bad Hamster Cage Setups: What Not to Do
Learn from examples of bad hamster cage setups to ensure your hamster has a safe and comfortable living environment.
The display below showcases some unfortunate setups commonly seen among hamster owners.
Common mistakes include:
- Utilizing cages that are too small
- Using inadequate bedding (often only an inch or two)
- Selecting unsuitable bedding that restricts burrowing
- Providing a wheel that is too small
- Not offering enough enrichment for the hamster
Let’s examine some examples of what not to do when arranging a hamster cage.
How Often to Change Hamster Cage Setup
Hamsters can easily become bored, so it’s beneficial to rearrange their living space periodically when conducting a thorough cage cleaning. During deep cleaning, it’s important to retain at least ¼ of the old bedding to maintain a familiar scent for the hamster and prevent stress.
If your cage measures 775 square inches or a similar size, it should remain suitable for about a month before requiring a complete overhaul. Regular spot cleaning to remove soiled bedding is crucial. This cleaning session presents an opportunity to introduce new accessories and refresh the environment for your hamster’s enjoyment.
Why a Good Cage Setup Is Essential for Your Pet’s Well-being
The setup of the cage significantly impacts your pet’s well-being. Remember, the cage is your hamster’s entire world, where they spend the majority of their day. It should be tailored to meet their needs, allowing them to exhibit natural behaviors and mimicking their wild habitat as closely as possible.
When arranging the cage, consider your pet’s perspective and incorporate elements that reflect their natural habitats and behaviors.
The phrase could be rewritten as “The man is going to the store.”