There are several kinds of
cages for hamsters these days : wire, aquarium and connectable cages.
The wire cages are the most commonly used. They provide very good
ventilation and they are very easy to clean. Your hamster will be able to swing from
one side of the cage to the other. Unfortunately your hamster will try to eat
through the bottom of your cage. Wired cages don't seem to be a very good solution
for dwarf hamsters or a mother with youngsters since they are able to get through the
wires. Make sure you always shut their cage properly and perhaps you will even have
to use a padlock or something to prevent them from escaping.
With aquariums cages it will be nearly impossible for your hamster to
escape. The bad thing about these cages is that they are very hard to clean and that
they don't provide much ventilation.
The connectable cages, which are connected with tubes, are a real
enjoyment to look at. You can see how your hamster runs through the tubes but
unfortunately they are hard to clean. Since those cages are made in plastic your
hamster will chew holes through it.
The best thing to use as bedding is toilet paper or paper torn into
strips. Watch out with softwoods like cedar and pine shavings. Some hamsters
seem to be allergic to it. Hardwoods like aspen are perfect. You could also use corn as
bedding but cotton wool should never be used. Fine sawdust can cause respiratory and
eye irritation problems.
Make sure your hamster has a water bottle at all time. The use of a
water dish is a bad idea since your hamster will make it dirty.
A food dish can be handy but is not necessary although it will help you to
give your hamster the same amount of food every day.
The room temperature should be between 69-75F (20-23C).
You absolutely need to have a wheel in your hamster cage. They just
love it and it gives them the exercise they really need. To prevent the
wheel from squeaking you can put some vegetable oil or vaseline on the axle. Perhaps
buying them some tubes so they can run through it is a good idea too. |
