Because your hamster lives in a unique and rather narrow environment, it is essential to properly furnish your hamster’s cage in order to guarantee its daily balance and well-being. To do this, your hamster’s cage requires certain essential accessories and equipment to be placed in strategic locations.
How do I choose a cage for my hamster?
There are different types of cages, each offering different benefits.
The simplest and most traditional is the cage with metal bars.
Very open, it allows an optimal ventilation to guarantee a healthy and constantly renewed air. It also allows the evacuation of bad smells.
The bars are ultra resistant to the claws and especially to the teeth of your rodent! Also, they are extremely practical, because they allow you to decorate the cage by hanging many elements very easily: wheel, water bottle, toy, hut, salt stone, platform… It also offers a great gain of space in the bottom of the cage so that the hamster can move easily in a clear space.
Also, the hamster which is a great sportsman during its night life can take pleasure in climbing the bars, beware of runaways!
Easy to clean, the metal structure can be detached from the plastic tray to ensure its cleaning and maintenance.
The Plexiglas cage is much more aesthetic and faithfully reproduces the natural habitat of the hamster. It is often composed of multiple colored elements already integrated. It often offers the possibility to create an extension, a second home, thanks to a system of tubes to be embedded in which the hamster can easily and playfully move from cage to cage.
Also, the space being totally closed, there is no risk of litter being thrown out of the box or of escapades!
However, this is also its main disadvantage, as the ventilation is very poor, making the odors and heat in the air stagnant.
Finally, there are also mixed cage models with bars and Plexiglas. A great compromise in case of hesitation!
Accessories for feeding and drinking
In order to accommodate your rodent’s food, you should place a dish in your cage. There are different materials: stainless steel, plastic or ceramic.
Plastic is nice and practical, but has a limited lifespan. Also, be careful with your hamster’s teeth and regularly check the condition of the bowl to avoid any damage that could injure it.
Ceramic and stainless steel are two resistant materials that are very easy to maintain. Lightweight, stainless steel bowls have the advantage of being able to be placed on the ground or hung on the bars of the cage with hooks.
Heavier, ceramic products must be placed on the ground. Some models have special anti-splash edges to limit the sorting of food and prevent it from being thrown into the litter.
Just like any human or animal, hamsters need constant access to clean, fresh water. The easiest and most convenient way to provide it is with a rodent bottle.
It’s as simple as filling it with liquid and then attaching it to the edges of the cage with the supplied attachment system. Some products also offer a top-filling system to avoid having to disassemble and reassemble the whole mechanism.
Its mouthpiece has a ball to control the water flow and avoid leaks. When it wants to drink, the rodent only has to suck on the drip system.
Finally, the bottle can be made of glass or plastic, glass having a higher resistance. There are also different capacities, depending on the size and species of your pet.
Small shelters to hide
During the day, the hamster is a great sleeper who rests to better wake up at night. In order to guarantee a good night’s sleep, it is advisable to offer him a dedicated and cozy shelter.
Thus, you can place a small hut on the ground or high up, depending on the model, to allow him to rest well hidden. There are different products made of wood, plastic, natural materials or even ceramic. Remember to choose this shelter according to the breed of your hamster, dwarf or not.
For a perfect comfort, fill his little house with ultra soft cotton for rodents that he can weave and arrange as he wishes in this enclosed space.
Another small shelter for another use, think of the toilet house for rodents so that your little companion can do his needs in privacy. It’s very practical so that your pet doesn’t soil its litter box and lives in a dry place, and it’s also practical for you to clean it.
A good dose of sport every day!
The hamster is a very lively little animal that needs to exercise. The best way to do this? The wheel!
It is a simple and inexpensive product that is essential to the good balance of your pet who absolutely needs to exercise. He will enjoy playing for hours in this little circle.
There are different models to put in the bottom of the cage or to fix to the bars in order to gain a maximum of space. Made of wood, plastic or metal, the choice is yours!
Good to know, there are also silent models so as not to disturb your precious sleep by this repetitive and high-pitched sound during your little companion’s nocturnal madness.
Finally, if you want to offer your rodent small outings in complete safety, place it in an exercise ball and let it walk around. Don’t worry, it has small holes to allow the animal to breathe, but there is no risk of running away.
With all these features, you have the perfect cage to make your little rodent as happy as possible. Also, don’t forget to clean it regularly for its well-being.
