Hamster Haven

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Housing your Hamster

Types of cages and equipment: Pro's and Con's

Glass Aquariums PROS: Aquariums are found in almost every pet store. You can buy tops that can be connected with tubes, wich allows more room for your hamster. Aquariums are very cheap to buy.
CONS: Aquariums are incredibly hard to maintain. They're hard to clean, and heavy (about 7 pounds). They are not very user-friendly with humans or hamsters. They glue used to stick the glass walls together is toxic, and if chewed by a hamster can be fatal. They are easy to excape out of, seeing as all the hamster has to do to excape is climb up the water bottle and push the top up, or block up its wheel with bedding and push the top up. They are breakable, and dangerous to hamsters AND humans if broken. Ammonia builds up from lack of ventilation. Condensation can occur, causing wet bedding or an uncomfertable hamster. If the tank is placed near direct sunlight, the tank in-conveniently acts like an oven and heats up inside. So, the temperature deal isn't the best either. The water-bottle for aquariums and glass tanks are very hard to put up with. The holders they are in hang over the edge of the tank-pushing the top of the aquarium up. This practicly yells : "Excape from me!". If the metal water-bottle holder is chewed on (wich often is), it is fatal in a terribly painful way to the hamster. (Would you like to die from metal shards poking through your stomach and intestines?).
*Total Cost: $20.00
Over-all rating: D-

Plastic Cages (S.A.M., HARTZ, Habitrail) Plastic cages can vary from tube to tube, bottom-tray to bottom-tray, water-bottle to water-bottle. Keep this in mind. Remember to keep the plastic cage (and other cages) out of direct sunlight. IMPORTANT: If your plastic cage comes with a wire bottom (like S.A.M. cages), remove it! They hurt your hamsters feet and can cause infections! They also annoy the hamster, because they don't allow digging or storing food and are uncomfortable to sleep on.
PROS: Most plastic cages have sufficient ventilation, and fun tubes that stimulate a hamsters natural enviornment. They are on the most part easy to clean (with removable bottoms), sanitary, and well-known. They often come with water bottle and toys, and are fun to fiddle with.
CONS: Some plastic cages have terrible ventilation, causing condensation and ammonia build-up. Also, most plastic cages are chewable, which is not safe for you hamster and in-convenient to you, the buyer of replacements (this can be avoided by making sure your hamster has things to chew on and the corners are rounded). Tubes have to be cleaned if urinated in, wich can be a hassle. Also, your hamster may decide to sleep in a tube if there isn't an appropriate sleeping space provided. This is annoying to an impatient child, but convenient to a hamster. Many plastic cages are expensive and can crack. Some water-bottles are hard to clean or hard to replace. Some temperature extremes can occur, but these are usually caused by a lazy owner.
Total Cost: $30-50
Over-all rating: B+

Wire Cages Wire cages can vary. IMPORTANT: Make absolutely sure there are NO wire floors (or for that matter, wire partitions/levels). They can hurt your hamsters feet and legs and cause infections! Also, before buying a wire cage, make sure the bars aren't set apart so far that the hamster can excape. Also, bird cages with sliding doors are out of the question. Your hamster will learn to push up the door and excape in no time.
PROS: Great ventilation, doubled climbing space (if has wire walls and ceiling), and liked by the hamster. Bedding can be pushed through the bars, but this can be put to an end by placing the cage in a cut-up box or weaving paper through the bars near the floor of the cage. Wire hanging food dishes and water-bottles provide excellent sanitation/space management, and solid floors provide a.. well.. solid feel for your hamster. No bars on the floor. Nada. No way. Chewing on the bars allows them to wear down their teeth, also.
CONS: Bedding can be pushed through the bars. Also, these cages are widely known for not being excape-proof. If a bird-cage with a sliding door is used, this is expessially true. Hamsters can easily push bars loose, squeeze through bars, push up doors, etc. Often times, when a wire cage with PAINT or rusty bars is used, the hamster is in danger of being intoxicated if it chews on the bars. Also, cages with loose bars can provide an easy excape route. Wire cages with multiple levels increase the danger of your hamster hurting itself if it falls, so this is an absolute no-no. Some bars may stick in towards the cage or something simalar and can hurt your hamter. Wire floors can seriously damage your hamsters feet and legs and promote fatal infections if not removed. Chewing on the bars can be loud and obnoxious. Sometimes ventilation can be a good thing, but if the temperature changes in your house rapidly, your hamster can suffer from temperature extremes.

*Total Cost: $20-40
Over-all rating (if ALL precautions are taken): A

Plastic/Wire mix Plastic and wire cages together... what an awesome combination! This new-fangled cage can come in a huge variety of colors, shapes, sizes, styles, and over all appropriatness.
PROS: Great ventilation and.. well.. choice of cage mix!! Many come with openings for tube-add ons, wich is very usefull in that the cage could use some extra space! Great for offering you with a variety of choices for wheels (suction cup? Floor-lying? Bar-hanging?), food dishes, and water-bottles. Keep bedding in automaticly, and yet have a great wire design! Very user and hamster friendly, and easy to clean. With latchable doors, these cages hardly ever see hamsters escaping from them! Also very safe.
CONS: Muck more likely to be breakable and/or crackable. Harder to replace parts. Harder to ASSEMBLE. Expensive ad-ons. Limited space.
*Total Cost: $22-30
Over-all rating: A+!

perfect cage
Buy this cage for $18.00!

* Note: The total cost includes the CAGE, no bedding or toys. Extra costs included in the Total Cost listed might be: water bottle/holder or lid for the cage. Also keep in mind that an adult hamster needs at least 18 inches of floorspace, so the cage costs include only reasonably sized hamster cages.