i plan on adding bioactive soil and more substrates and sprays, but am having a hard time finding people who sell ones that are safe for mice specifically
luckily im a student so i have plenty of time to play with him and give him exercise outside of his bin but hes not very social and spends most of his time in his nest
considering downsizing his hut now that his partner has passed into something that gives me more room for other enrichment and is better for burrowing
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Hello, I'm thinking of getting a Chinese dwarf hamster and I want to make sure they will have the best home I can offer with the space I have. I admittedly haven't had a hamster since I was a child. What would you suggest?
Omg hi thank you so much for sending this ask this has literally made my day to get to talk husbandry <3
This post will probably get long so I'm going to put in a break shortly! I'll title sections so you can skim fr whatever info you'd like easily!!!
Chinese (Dwarf) Hamster Cages
(just some random stuff before we get into husbandry)::
To preface, while Chinese Hamsters aren't 'technically' dwarf hamsters, they are still referred to as such in pet stores and in most resources outside of the hamster community, but when I refer to a Chinese Hamster it's the same thing!
Out of the 5 species of hamsters in captivity this is also the hardest one to find, they generally don't sell well due to their mouse like appearance (which imo makes them the most interesting species), as well as because they are a almost exclusively solitary species unlike 'true' dwarfs. If you're buying from a pet store be sure they actually have some before you go, if through a breeder or a rescue it'll probably be much easier (but if from a breeder/rescue definitely check their minimum adoption requirements as they vary from organization to organization).
The males have.. very large testicles. It looks very silly but does not affect them so do not worry if your hamster is really silly looking, it adds to their charm.
All husbandry advice will be based on US standard, please note that the recommended standard often differs wildly from country to country, I will be referencing both the CHA and the OHC though as the CHA sucks and is full of insane people who are literally a clique and will come for people not in their clique (specifically referring to breeders). The OHC has a majority of the same breeders on their list but the people who run the association itself are less insane.
The minimum recommended size for a healthy happy dwarf hamster is 450sq inches, or at least 30"x15" (per https://ontariohamsters.ca/). Lets look at some options:
Bin cage: These are incredible since they're sooo versatile. If you decide you'd like to make a bin cage (using a storage bin with added ventilation) this will be the cheapest housing option. The smallest recommended size is a 110 qt sterilite bin, but any size larger in that brand or the largest IKEA SAMLA bin are also acceptable! If you have the space to do a larger enclosure, also look at 200 qt bins and xmas tree bin. Check out this video on how to ventilate since I am silly and cannot use my brain right now to explain it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjuWsbPrF04
The main thing to avoid is bins with wheels underneath, the plastic over the wheels bumps up inside and makes for a great spot to chew and escape from!
Tank: Tanks are great for allowing for the most bedding possible, and functionally prevent any messes the ham could make. You'll want to look for a 40 gallon at least, if you have a petco near you they regularly (like 5-6 times a year) do a sale where they offer half off on all their tanks (its going on right now actually) so a 40 would be $60 currently. 55 gallon tanks are technically smaller, but they are very tall and allow for a LOT deeper bedding and more climbing enrichment, and 60 and 75 gallon tanks have the same floor space as each other, but the 75 is taller. If you decide on a tank you'll need to order the tank lid online for any size over a 40 (sometimes pet stores have the 40 lid in stock), make sure to get a reptile terrarium lid!
Similarly there are also Acrylic and wooden enclosures. You'll want them to have the ventilation on the lids or very high up on the sides to prevent them from attempting to escape, but I recommended looking into the brands Bucatstate, Niteangel, and Pawhut (before you buy though look for 'clones' of the cages by niteangel because you can find cheaper than their prices for almost everything they sell).
Wire Cage: These are awesome for allowing for hanging enrichment like toys and shelves, but chinese hamsters are very small so you need bar spacing of at most 3/8". The Prevue 528, Savic Hamster Heaven Metro, and Crittertrail Super Habitat are all awesome options! These can all be purchased online, but Petco sells the Crittertrail Super Habitat and the Hamster Heaven can also be purchased from many Pet Supermarket locations if you have those near you!
That's a Prevue 528 set up below!
Connectable Cages: If you were wanting a Syrian Hamster (also called golden hamster, teddy bear, black bear, fancy hamster, etc) these wouldn't be possible at all since the tubes cannot accommodate a syrian hamster, and they are honestly HELL to deal with because occasionally they'll pee in the tubes and you'll have to take it all apart to clean it, but you do technically have one option for connectable cages with dwarf hamsters if it interests you. The Crittertrail Super Habitat is about 500sq inches, and features 1 connection port. You can attach connectable cages to that as long as you can maintain them. You don't really want to do only small cages connected to each other, hamsters may be burrowers in the wild but they are also major explorers. If their entire enclosure simulates a burrow they will want to escape that burrow to explore. You want a large main enclosure to allow them to have a 'surface', and to give them the option to burrow on their own (the small ones never have enough room for bedding ugh). The pros to connectable cages is that you can have different areas that are easier to maintain, and chinese hamsters are quite agile so they tend to enjoy being able to explore. If you decide to ever use tubes in your cage, try not to have any straight up and down sections larger than 3-4 inches, if they fall within the tube from any higher they're able to get injured quite easily.
(sorry couldn't find many good set up pics for this option since this style of enclosure has fallen out of style in the last few years for easier, larger setups)
As far as enclosures go those are your primary options! If you have specific questions about other aspects of their care, please let me know!!! I just didn't wanna overload this one post with too much info...
Estelle's habitat! It's a 50 gallon bin cage. There's a large sand bath hidden under the platform too. She seems pretty happy with it! I'm really glad I went with a 10" wheel, it might seem a bit big for a dwarf hamster but I do think the extra size helps her have a little more control and not get flipped or thrown off. She's my first ham and I did a lot of fussing over choices like that 😅
As promised, here is how I made Sushi’s bin cage. It was pretty easy, and I only had to ask my dad for help a few times lol.
P.S.- this crate is actually too small, I have since upgraded his cage. The minimum amount of floor space for hamsters is 450 square inches! I would even say if you have a bigger hamster, like a Syrian, go bigger than 450 square inches. You can never have a crate too big!
So with a box cutter or dremel, cut out a large square on the lid. Next, measure and cut out a section of mesh wire and zip tie it to the lid. Really.... that's it. Next you want to fill it with tons of bedding; hamsters are burrowers so they need 5 or 6 inches to burrow in.
I personally like bin cages more than any store bought cage. Bin cages are a lot less expensive and give your hamster more floor space. And there's something to be said about hand making something for your pets: seeing them enjoy something that you made with your own hands just really makes me happy.
So my husband and I have been binge watching a lovely YouTuber (ErinsAnimals) and getting all kinds of inspiration for not only the bin cage we are currently working on, but also a diy cage build we plan to do once we move out of this apartment and into a place that's a bit more permanent.
This sketch is what we are going to do for the bin cage once we get some good bedding to fill it (we're stuck between a good Aspen bedding or some paper bedding, but we'll leave that decision up to our paychecks later this week, since rent is also due soon 😩)
For now we will be transferring the toys he currently has into the new cage to make the change a bit easier, and then slowly introducing a few new toys/items as we go
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They are an affordable and adequate means of housing rats. When constructed properly, they have adequate ventilation. Climbing space and platforms are not necessary for rats, floorspace is the most important factor, but they can easily be added. Plus, you can make deep bins that allow for tons of bedding to burrow in.
IT'S DONE! Holy shit, man. Took me several hours of work and a month or so to get my supplies together.
Her first cage cost $175 for everything from PetSmart (and did not include a UVB light). Her bin, made from scratch, including tool prices (I had nothing) cost about $125-$150. Can't remember some of the prices exactly but I know for a fact it didn't go over $150.
It takes more work but it's so worth it, financially and for the animal.
It's still a WIP but it's definitely a good start in the direction of what Sasha deserves.
