Ahem. Would *you* want to live in a tiny plastic cage with little ventilation?
Probably not.
Most hamster owners are likely familiar with the two
standard types of cages, the all-plastic
enclosed cages, and the wire with plastic tray cages. (Though, others do
exist, I'll get to those in a bit.)
All Plastic Enclosed Cages
These are generally a bad idea.
Wire Cages with Plastic Trays
These are typically your best bet.
- Plenty of ventilation.
- Usually have more space for your hamster to play.
- It's much easier to clean them.
- They can't chew on the plastic tray very easily, though they will chew the bars and make a lot of noise.
It should be known that
hamsters are very noisy creatures, and it's pretty much
impossible to avoid this. (That's why I keep mine in my sister's bedroom.. tee-hee.)
Choosing the right cage will help, though, so when you're picking it out, ask about
soundless wheels. Note that they probably won't
stay soundless after they've been used enough, but at least you get some
quiet time. Watch that your hamsters
fur doesn't get caught in the wheel (happens frequently with
teddy bear hamsters), and make sure the wheel is the
right size. If one of the metal wheels gets
really squeaky, grease it up with some non-toxic substance like
vaseline, just use a very little bit and it should
stop the squeaking.
Choose a large enough
water bottle that the hamster won't run out every five seconds, alright? Water dishes are okay, but should be checked
frequently to make sure they're
clean, dirty water leads to
disease.
The bottom of the cage should be lined with wood shavings, chips, or possibly corn cob pellets. Any of these will work, make sure whichever you choose is
hamster-safe.
Bedding.. well, some choose not to give any extra bedding to their hamster, but some sort of tissue (I use kleenex), works the best. Avoid those weird beddings they sell in stores, I've heard of one too many hamster deaths due to
stomach blockage. "Tried, tested, and true",
kleenex or
toilet paper work best.
Lining the very bottom of the cage with
paper towel before adding the shavings or whichever you choose, will help
absorb odours and hamster
pee.
Newspaper can be used too, but your hamsters fur might get a little
black from the
print.
Try to buy a two story cage if you can, they
love to climb, and that gives them more room. Granted, that gets
expensive, but it's a one time thing. Take them out of the cage sometimes, they get
bored too.
Be sure not to use soap when cleaning the cage, or any other substance that may be harmful if it somehow gets into your hamster's system. I suppose if you rinsed it REALLY well, it would be okay.. avoid it if you can.