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Syrian hamsters are solitary animals and
can only be kept one to a cage. Dwarf
Russian hamsters are more social, and
can live in groups as long as they are introduced when young,
and the cage
is large enough.
However once they
reach sexual maturity
the males may
begin to fight.
Males and females
kept together will
reproduce very quickly
and fathers will
have to be
removed from the
cage. For these
reasons we only
recommend 1 hamster of any type per cage. (6)
Russian, Roborovski and Chinese hamsters
can squeeze through small places so are best kept in a tank or aquarium no
smaller than 60cm x 30cm floor space, by 30cm tall. The tank needs a securely
fitted wire lid to allow ventilation and prevent escape. (12)
Proper housing is a major factor in
maintaining healthy hamsters. The
psychosocial well being of the pets must be a primary consideration. Hamsters can be housed within enclosures
made of wire, stainless steel, durable plastic or glass. The last 3 materials are preferred because
they resist corrosion. Wood and similar
materials should not be used to construct enclosures because they are
difficult to clean and cannot withstand
the destructive gnawing of
rodents. (1)
 |
Many
pet stores sell
durable colored plastic
enclosures that include
attached horizontal and
vertical tubes through which the hamster can crawl for exercise. These are suitable enclosures for hamsters. (1)
vertical tubes through which the hamster can crawl for exercise. These are suitable enclosures for hamsters. (1)
The
enclosure must be
built so the
hamsters cannot escape.
This is an
especially important consideration because hamsters are proficient
‘escape artists’. In fact, once free of
their enclosure, they are very difficult to find and rarely return to it. A hamster free to roam the house is a real
liability because it will chew and gnaw on electrical and telephone cords, and
household furnishings. (1)
The enclosure must also be free of sharp
edges and other potential hazards. It
must be roomy enough to allow normal activities and breeding, if the latter is
desired. One reference recommends at
least 20 square inches of floor area per hamster, and a cage height of at least
6 inches. (1)
Hamsters seem to do best when housed in
enclosures with solid floors, relatively deep
bedding, and abundant nesting material. The
enclosure should be easy to clean, well lighted, and adequately ventilated.
Bedding must be clean, nontoxic, absorbent, relatively dust-free and
easy to replace. (1)
Cage size requirements, as mandated by the
AWA and recommended in the NIH Guide, are based on age, weight and reproductive
status.
The maximum cage size is allotted to
nursing hamsters. Currently, the interior height of all cages, not including
lid space, is 6 in. (15.24 cm) (7,8). The minimum floor space is based on
weight. In general, for every 20 g increase in body weight over 60 g, an
additional 3 sq. in (7.62 sq. cm) of floor space is required. Keep in mind that
the AWA allows for the use of caging that does not meet the specific space
requirements, if the cage allows for species-typical behavior and is approved
by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.(13)
Shredded paper, wood shavings, and
processed corncob are preferred bedding materials. Cotton or shredded tissue paper is suitable
nesting material. (1)
There are many different types of substrate
that can be used to line the bottom of your hamsters home. Traditionally Wood Shavings (or Sawdust) is
used, though there are alternatives to this which can be a big help to anyone
with an allergy to them. The substrate
needs to be at least 3cm deep over the base of the cage, this is so it will
absorb your hamsters urine, plus provide stimulation for the hamster of digging
into it.(18)
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| Different substrates' pros and cons. (18) |
A handful of nesting should be provided for
the hamster to nest in, it does not matter whether this is in some form of
hamster nesting area or left in a corner of the cage. The hamster will use this to make a soft nest
to sleep in and to hide away in. There
are many different forms of nesting available to buy, or things that can be
used as nesting.(18)
 |
| Different nestings' pros and cons. (18) |
Hamsters are primarily nocturnal
(night-active), though they may exhibit relatively short periods of activity
throughout the day. During their active
period, hamsters cat and exercise. (1)
Hamsters seem to especially enjoy exercise
wheels and other activities. The plastic
enclosures equipped with horizontal and vertical tubes/tunnels mentioned above
are highly recommended for this reason.
Hamsters seem to really enjoy running through them. They also enjoy tin cans opened at both ends
and boxes with multiple openings through which they can crawl. (1)
Pet hamsters are usually housed
singly. Sexually mature females must
not be housed
together because of their inevitable
aggressiveness toward each other.
Breeding females are larger than males and tend to be aggressive toward
them. For this reason, males must be
removed from the enclosure after breeding has been completed. (1)
In general, facilities and equipment
adequate for housing rats and mice are satisfactory for Syrian hamsters with a
few exceptions. However, mouse
cages that are only 5 in. tall do not meet
the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act. Also, all hamsters are great escape
artists which necessitates the use of well-constructed, securely fastened
caging. A light:dark cycle of 14 hours light to 10 hours dark is optimal for
reproduction in Syrian hamsters, as opposed to the 12:12 cycle normally used
for rats and mice (2, 4). Syrian hamsters also prefer to have food supplied on
the floor of the cage instead of in a hopper. (2)
The frequency with which the enclosure is
cleaned depends on its design, the materials out of which it is made, and the
number of hamsters within it. As a
general rule of thumb, the enclosure and all cage ‘furniture’ should be cleaned
and disinfected once weekly. The food
and water containers should be cleaned and disinfected once daily. More than one set of containers should be
maintained, and the soiled set should be washed in a dishwasher, if
possible. Vigorous scrubbing of the
enclosure and furniture with hot water and soap and a thorough rinse should be
followed by use of a disinfectant. (2)
HOUSING HAMSTERS TOGETHER (22)
***Vanilla Essence Technique: You should
introduce two hamsters together by first rubbing vanilla essence to both of
your hamsters or rubbing it to the interiors of their cage / enclosure. Hamster
owners claim that this is effective since it will confuse their pets' smell and
eventually decrease or lose their territorial instinct.
SET-UP AND HABITAT MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
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- Do not keep Syrians together at all as they fight ('til death!)
- Only Dwarf Campbell/WW/Robos can be kept together and must be below 2 months if from different source, otherwise barrier sniffing introduction/ Vanilla Essence technique*** is required, separate immediately if fighting occurs
- Do not mix different species together in a cage (NOTE: Syrian/ Campbell/ Winter Whites / Roborovskis are different species)
- Large tub and small cage method (by HH's Sleepy_lancs) (22): Get a clean large tub (make sure its without any smell). Get a small cage (enough to fit into the large tub but not too small or you have to clean the area very often which makes it in-effective). Put the new hamster into the cage and the other hamster in the tub. Ensure that the hamster in the cage can smell each other through the wire. Noses may touch but they can't harm each other. Everyday, switch their places for 2 weeks. After two weeks, take away the small cage and watch them. They shouldn't be fighting... or else increase the length of period.
(by HH's Member Christmas_hamster) (22)
Myth: Hamsters are small animals, so they
need small cages. (22)
Truth: Hamsters may be small in size but
they move and explore a lot. In the wild it is recorded that hamsters will
often run up to eight miles in one night. While a wheel certainly is a valuable
tool in helping a hamster to burn some energy and get some exercise, it does
not mean that a cage can be small. Hamsters still require room to explore,
play, dig, hoard food, make a nest and just move around. In a small cage not
all of this can be provided. Some studies even suggest that a hamster needs up
to one square metre (or about 10.5 square feet) of floorspace in order to
provide the hamster with enough room to do what it needs to do. If someone can
provide that much room for their hamsters then I think the hamster can only
benefit from it, though the absolute minimum cage size is generally agreed to
be 360 square inches (2322 square cm). Also keep in mind that hamsters need
more floorspace in a cage than they do height. (22)
Myth: Aquariums are a bad cage choice for
hamsters as they do not provide adequate ventilation. (22)
Truth: Aquariums make great cages for
hamsters provided that the lid allows proper ventilation. The lid should be
made of mesh or wire, not glass or plastic thus allowing the air to flow
through. The biggest concern with keeping animals, such as rats, in aquariums
is that the ammonia would build up and cause respiratory problems., but
hamsters do not produce enough ammonia in their urine for this to be as much of
a concern. However, as with all animals, it is recommended to change the soiled
bedding when it starts to smell - whether they're housed in a tank or a wire
cage. (22)
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