Hamster
Housing
Considerations
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Proper housing is a major factor in maintaining healthy hamsters.
The psycho-social 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. 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.
The enclosure must be built so the hamsters cannot escape. (special consideration should be made for baby hamsters since tey are small enough to fit through barred cages). 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.
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 (see Vital Statistics for preferred temperature and
relative humidity ranges). Bedding must be clean, nontoxic,
absorbent, relatively dust-free and easy to replace. Shredded paper,
wood shavings, and processed corn cob are preferred bedding
materials. Cotton or shredded tissue paper (Kleenex) is suitable
nesting material.
Hamsters are primarily nocturnal (night-active) though they may
exhibit relatively short periods of activity throughout the day.
During their active period, hamsters eat and exercise. 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.
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.
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.
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