How to Choose the Best Cage for Your Syrian Hamster

One of many frequent species of hamster saved as a pet is the Syrian or golden hamster. Whatever the widespread establish, not all Syrian hamsters have reddish-golden hair; they now are bred in a variety of colors and hair lengths. Whereas Syrian hamsters are the most important kind of pet hamster, they’re nonetheless comparatively small at a imply of 5 to 7 inches in dimension as adults. That said, it’s nonetheless essential to resolve on the becoming Syrian hamster cage.

These cute rodents make fulfilling pets and will likely be socialized with frequent delicate coping with. They’re curious, energetic, and playful, although their nocturnal habits indicate you will not usually see them whereas awake. Some will modify significantly to your schedule, nonetheless, once you cope with them normally. In no way abruptly rise up your sleeping hamster, as this may startle it into biting.

To keep up your pet hamster healthful and fully glad, this can be very essential to feed it an appropriate weight-reduction plan, give it options to coach, and choose a cage that matches its desires. When you end up deciding on a cage in your Syrian hamster, you will wish to take note of a lot of parts. Most importantly, you want to resolve a cage that is large enough, protected, and easy to wash. Sadly, many cages you could find on the pet retailer do not meet all these requirements. That is how one can resolve among the best kind of cage in your hamster and accurately outfit it.

Style of Syrian Hamster Cage

Your principal choices shall be between a wire cage (usually on a plastic base), a plastic modular cage (the type with many compartments and tubes), or an aquarium (with a secure mesh lid). Each trend of cage has advantages and disadvantages regarding cleaning, air stream, and security.

As a fundamental rule, wire cages are easy to wash, however when the bars aren’t spaced intently enough, make it easy in your pet to flee. These cages may be present in a number of sizes and to go well with any funds. Plastic cages are increased for holding messes equivalent to stray bedding, meals, or waste, nonetheless don’t current as loads air stream as a wire cage. Glass tanks can be found in a wide range of sizes, nonetheless are heavy, will likely be chilly, and block air circulation.

Let’s take note of each of these parts in extra depth.

Ease of Cleaning

Usually, a wire cage with a plastic tray is the perfect to wash; merely elevate the wire off the underside, filter the bedding, and wipe down the wire half as wanted. The additional sophisticated the cage, the harder will most likely be to wash, which is important in the event you’re considering a plastic cage with a lot of compartments and tubes. These cages can grow to be an precise chore to wash. Aquariums shouldn’t terribly troublesome to wash nonetheless will likely be heavy and awkward to cope with at cleaning time. Cleaning cages is not a fulfilling job, so sustaining it easy will make proudly proudly owning a hamster additional fulfilling.

Air stream

Good air stream not solely helps maintain down odor, it moreover helps maintain your pet extra wholesome and happier. A wire cage is effectively essentially the most appropriate selection for air stream, as air flows all through the bars. The tubes and enclosed compartments of plastic modular cages can inhibit airflow, so air top quality and condensation can grow to be points. Likewise, aquariums can also have inadequate air stream due to their robust glass sides and bottom.

Bear in mind the truth that the openness of wire cages offers them good air stream nonetheless means it is important to carry the cage out of drafts. Plastic cages and aquariums do provide increased security from drafts.

Cage Security and Safety

Hamsters can match by the use of surprisingly small areas. To avoid a midnight escape, the areas between the bars on a Syrian hamster’s cage should be no more than 1/2 inch apart. Horizontal bars will allow some different to climb. Check the doorways on any cage to make sure they’re secure, as hamsters can grow to be pretty specialists at opening doorways. Metal bolt clips, like these on the highest of a canine leash, will likely be clipped on to “lock” doorways for a further diploma of security on wire doorways. If you happen to occur to pick a cage with a lot of ranges, guarantee that there is not a spot the place your hamster may fall an prolonged distance.

Plastic cages and glass tanks are safer than wire cages, as a fundamental rule, nonetheless an open prime means your pet might nonetheless escape. Make sure that the very best of any cage has a tightly fitted lid that your hamster can not slide beneath, push up, or squeeze by the use of.

Cage Measurement for a Syrian Hamster

Hamsters are very energetic animals, so don’t make the error of assuming that just because your pet is small it might not need loads room for prepare.

Intention for not less than 24 inches by 12 inches, and a minimal of 12 inches tall. However, to take care of your hamster energetic and fully glad, try and get a good greater cage—regarding hamster cages, better is on a regular basis increased. And whereas your hamster will seemingly have the benefit of with the power to climb up a level or two inside its cage, it is going to spend most of its time on the underside flooring, so when sizing up, choose a cage that’s longer, barely than taller, every time doable.

Syrian hamsters need ample home to run and play, and the exact flooring home of the cage is important for this. Usually, many cages marketed for hamsters are too small for Syrian hamsters. Remember that the tubes, compartments, and built-in wheels of plastic modular cages are too small for lots of Syrian hamsters, as they’re supposed additional for dwarf hamsters or mice.

Syrian Hamster Cages and Chewing

The drive and expertise of hamsters to chew can impact the sort of cage that matches them. Wire cages have many advantages, nonetheless some hamsters grow to be just about obsessive about chewing the bars. If providing ample chew toys and tedium busters don’t relieve the chewing, switching to a solid-sided cage may be essentially the most appropriate selection. Moreover, when deciding on a plastic cage, guarantee that there should not any uncovered edges or ridges of plastic the place a hamster can start chewing the cage, or your hamster is extra prone to escape in some unspecified time sooner or later. Aquariums are normally chew-proof (nonetheless guarantee that the cover is secure).

Wheels

Hamsters should have wheels, nonetheless you will have to guarantee that the wheel is sufficiently large for Syrian hamsters. Choose a wheel that’s 8 to 12 inches in diameter in your Syrian hamster, as a result of the 6-inch wheels supposed for mice or dwarf hamsters shouldn’t large enough.The wheels constructed into plastic cages are usually too small for these greater hamsters. Ideally, wheels should have a robust ground and no crossbars for help, so no limbs or completely different physique parts get caught.

Bedding Depth

It would not matter what trend of cage you use, guarantee you may current a pleasing deep layer of bedding for burrowing. That’s most crucial for wire cages—choose one with a deep tray to allow a pleasing thick layer of bedding, and along with reduce the amount of bedding your hamsters will push or kick out of the cage. As a fundamental rule, your Syrian hamster should have a layer of bedding that could be a minimal of 1 to 2 inches deep. Take away soiled bedding every day, and alter all of the bedding weekly.