by Christine Cameron

Created on: January 24, 2008   Last Updated: January 01, 2010

Today's hamster cages come in every size, shape and color imaginable. Small pet owners should do some homework before buying the first "cool" looking cage the kids see.

Some things to consider when choosing a cage for your hamster are:

1.) Location in your home for the new habitat - You will need an area large enough for the habitat and well ventilated, out of direct sunlight. You will also need a storage area for all of your hamster supplies.

2.) When you have the location, decide how you want your cage constructed - Cages and habitats come in everything from plastic to heavy gauge wire to glass.

Plastic is the least recommended, although highly suggestible to children due to the bright colors. Sadly, many a hamster has been lost forever due to a plastic habitat - it is only a matter of time before they chew their way out. The other drawback to the plastic habitat is that it is often too small to reach a hand in for cleaning. You must be able to reach every corner of your pet's habitat - for the safety and health of your hamster.

Heavy gauge wire is recommended with two areas of caution; make sure the wire is a cross hatch design ( the tightest you can find), and cover the floor under the cage. Hamsters burrow so you will have litter spilling outside of the cage.

Glass aquariums work well, use a screen top with a HEAVY weight on the top. You can find a used aquarium at many garage sales, they come in all different shapes and sizes. Tank toppers are also made to fit on the top of aquariums creating an upstairs and doubling the size of the habitat. Aquariums work well because you can get in easily for cleaning or in case of an emergency.

3.) Finally, if you have more than one hamster, you HAVE to consider the amount of interior space of your new habitat. Hamsters are very solitary animals, this cannot be stressed enough! Every hamster HAS to have a hiding place where it can store food . If a hamster feels that there is not ample space for food hoarding, then there WILL be a fight (most likely to the death). Hamsters are notorious for turf wars, so the ideal situation is: one hamster per habitat.

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