Choosing a cage for hamsters

This section, I will share with you some tips in getting an ideal hamster cage. I will also reveal some low-cost cages that you can have for your hamsters.


When you buy a hamster cage, you need to do some planning like how you would do when you buy your new home, but for in this case its the new home for the hamster. Some general guidelines would be the furniture (toys, water bottles) that you want to put into the cage, the number of hamsters you have, the type of bedding that you want to use, etc. I'll cover these factors in subsequent entries. Let's just take a look at the different cages available in the market.


1) The most common cage that you will find in stores :: Colourful plastic and metal cage.



These cages are readily available in many pet shops.

Advantages:
- Airy, good ventilation, cooling for the hamster.
- Usually comes with the water bottle and a wheel, so less hassle in getting them.
- Side of cage has an opening which you can fix tunnels to link to other cages.
- Some comes with a theme, eg. classroom, kitchen, etc.




Disadvantages:
- Relatively costly
- Metallic parts rust very quickly as hamsters gnaw at the metal
- Area surrounding the cage may get littered by the bedding material as the hamster kicks it out.
- More hassle to clean the cage as you need to dismantle the cage into various parts to clean.


2) The second most common cage :: Plastic Cages


This cage or tank if you want to call it, is cheaper than the colourful cage shown above. And this is much bigger. If you use this kind of cage, my suggestion is, get a big one and remove the top cover. I'll tell you why below:


Advantages:
- No rusting. Plastic cage can last forever if not damaged physically
- Relatively affordable
- Surrounding of cage will be clean because the bedding is contained inside
- Easy to clean. Pour bedding out, wash it. Dry it.
- Allows you to unleash your creativity in decorating the cage with toys and all.


Disadvantages:
- Not as ventilated as metallic cages. Hence, if you have a big tank, remove the top cover for better air movement. The top cover gathers dust too and is a hassle to remove it. So just remove the cover if the tank is high enough.
- Comes empty, so you need to buy accessories yourself.







3) The not-so-common cage :: Aquarium tanks


Many of you would think that aquarium tanks are expensive and a plastic cage would suffice. I actually got this tank free as some fish lover abandoned the tank. I've also noticed that in some 2nd hand shops, the tank costs about only S$5, which is maybe US$3. So, price shouldn't be the issue here.


Advantages:
- Similar to those of plastic cage
- Able to put partition to house two hamsters separately within cage. For the partition, you can get an acrylic piece, cut it to the appropriate size and slot in. So one cage becomes two. This is how some pet shop owners house their hamsters. Its harder to do so with plastic cages plastic cages do not have the same breadth as you move upwards. The aquarium tank is rectangle, so its easier.
-The height is confirmed to be unreachable by hamsters, so they won't escape from the top


Disadvantages:
-Quite heavy, a bit more hassle to carry it to wash
- Fragile, as it is made of glass


4) The wonder cage :: Cupboard cage

First, please do not be mislead by the picture. Do not house the hamster in opaque cages. I am showing this picture to aid in my illustration.

A suitable cupboard to be used as cage would be one that has transparent shelvings. It is especially useful if you are keeping lots of hamsters. Simply pull out the shelvings such that the ones at the bottom are pulled out most and the top one least. So that the cute hamsters can enjoy the ventilation.

Advantages:
- Compact, multi-storeyed cage
- Shares the good points of the plastic cage
- You can build a massive community by linking the various shelvings by tunnels. Then the cupboard will be an high-rise apartment building.


Disadvantages:
- Ventilation not as good as metallic cages
- Comes empty so you need your accessories


As a summary, it depends on the number of hamsters you want and your budget. Also, whether you want to do-it-yourself for the furnishing of the cage, or you want a ready-made. I am still exploring other possible improvised cages. Creativity rules. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to post a comment and we will discuss the possible pros and cons.