Housing For Your New Hamster

Hamsters can be kept both in cages and in terrariums, both of which are available in any local area pet stores.Cages are easier to carry, their bars can be used for climbing, and they usualy include a convenient front door.

On the other hand, glass boxes keep hamsters from throwing liter out of their cages, provide a beter view into the hamster's home, and create a quieter and more sheltered interior. In general, terrariums are more appropriate for dwarf hamsters, which are more sensitive toa disquieting environment and which would otherwise need very narrow-grid bars to keep them from slipping through.

Middle-sized hamsters, such as the Golden Hamster, especialy enjoy climbing the cage walls (the cage should have horizontal and vertical bars) and are more open to the outside world, which is why cages might be the better choice for this kind of hamsters.

Despite the hamster's small size, appropriate housings should always have a floor space of at least 40 cm by 60 cm(16 by 24 inches) and be at least 40 cm (24 inches) in height. Glass boxes must not be higher than their width to allow for a sufficient air circulation. Although smaler in size, dwarf hamsters should have bigger housings than their larger relatives, at least 80 cm by 40 cm (2 feet by 4 feet). The reason for this is that the dwarfs are very active, running and digging a lot, but they often cannot be taken outside their houses for long, because they are not comfortable there and, due to their smaler size, are more endangered when leaving their domicile. Usualy hamsters with a bigger and more interesting home wil live longer and provide more visual entertainment.

In addition to buying the common housings sold in stores, you can also build customized dwelings. In this case, useonly materials that are not dangerous to the animals. Plywood and wood from conifers is not suitable, because hamsters gnaw at their houses and both glue and resin are poisonous for them. Using standard water-soluble white wood glue to join pieces of solid wood, such as birch or beech wood, creates a safe environment for the hamster, although you must check frequently to ensure that thehamster is not gnawing through the wood. You can also equip a purchased cage with several intermediate levels, connected using stairs. Using wire grid for these platforms instead of solid wood causes serious injuries and is therefore not recommended.

The narrow and smooth plastic toy housings that can befound in some stores are usualy not appropriate as the sole habitat for hamsters. The tight tubes are often densely closed, preventing sufficient air circulation, and the plastic surfaces, while easily cleanable, cannot absorb the hamster's urine like natural materials. The result is a dampand uncomfortable climate that is a perfect habitat for germsand fungi. In addition, synthetic materials are unhealthy when used for gnawing, making plastic tubes, "spacestations", and houses an improper and unnatural (thoughoften expensive) permanent home for hamsters. Reserve these habitats for supervised play and activity.

The perfect place for the hamster's home is a wel-lit room of constant, moderate temperature (18 to 26°C, 64 to 80°F), in a place without strong solar irradiation that could cause dangerous heating. Especialy when wire cages are used, itis also important to avoid air draft. Though they cannot seevery far, hamsters become more relaxed and curious when positioned somewhat above the ground (at least 65 cm (2feet)), from where they can perceive their surroundings.

Cover the inside of the hamster's residence, including alintermediate levels, with a sufficiently thick layer of woodenlitter for rodents, available in pet stores. Although alternative materials may work as wel, most of these bear additional threats. Cat litter is dangerous, because gnawing and eatingthe chunks is deadly.

Hamsters are nest builders and a steady supply of fresh strips of tissue or newspaper (with soy-based ink) alows them to build a secure and comfortable spot in a corner oftheir enclosure or in their hiding house. Hay, from shops oreven fresh from the garden, is also a valuable building material for cozy hamster nests, which, as an additional bonus, is also perfectly edible.

A sand bath can provide a hamster with entertainment and helps them groom. In the desert (their natural habitat), hamsters will roll around in the sand, which cleans their coatand prevents it from getting too oily. Dwarf hamsters inparticularly enjoy this activity. Be sure to use a dish that wilnot tip over. Heavy ceramic and metal dishes are preferred.You can fill the dish with fine sand or chinchila dust.

Regular cleaning of a hamster's home is crucial for the hamster's health. The home must be cleaned at least once a week by replacing the soiled bedding where necessary. Hamsters are fairly neat in their bathroom habits; if their enclosure is regularly cleaned, they choose one small location in which to urinate and defecate, making the cleaning simple. Small hamsters may require slightly less-frequent cleaning (perhaps once every two weeks), and may have many (usualy hidden) places used as toilets.

Another important component of a hamster's home is a hiding place where the animal can rest during the day. Notal commercialy available houses are adequate. The houses should be of sufficient size and be closed on at least two sides. The same building materials are appropriate for theseas for the larger cages, although even a smal cardboard box will work (and which will have to be regularly replaced). Some houses add features such as a removable roof that helps to take away colected food (especialy perishable items).

Hamsters are solitary animals and prefer to be alone most of the time. While sometimes two or more animals can live peacefuly within one home, there can be bloody fights. Intheir natural habitat, there is substantialy more empty space so that each hamster can have its own large territory. If more than one hamster is to live in a cage, then the cage must be larger (at least 40cm x 40cm per hamster) and there must be separate hiding houses for each animal. In any case, evenafter a long period of peaceful coexistence or even mating, there can be violent biting. In this situation, the hamsters should be separated immediately. Note also that, if a male and female hamster live together without fighting, then they will usualy reproduce rapidly, there by causing more space problems.