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Common Questions and Answers about Hamster Cages

If you have questions about hamsters cages you’ve come to the right place! While hamster cages may seem simple and straightforward, there are a lot of lesser known things you may be wondering about. And this article is dedicated to providing answers to those questions.

We’ll cover everything from the types of cages to keep your hamster, to keeping your cat away, and preventing unwanted smells. And if you have any other questions about hamsters cages that you want us to answer, feel free to send us a message via our contact page.

As with all of our articles, feel free to click any link in the table of contents to be taken directly to that question. And without further ado, let’s jump into the first question.

Table of Contents

    Can you put a hamster in a glass cage?

    Yes, you can put a hamster in a glass cage, but you will want to make sure there’s sufficient ventilation, visibility, and small openings to create air flow and allow your hamster to smell the outside world. You should lean towards metal cages with bars, but glass cages can work if needed.

    Can you put a hamster in a glass cage

    Glass cages are a great option for hamsters, but there are a few requirements for any cage that glass needs to adhere to as well. The two most important requirements for any cage are ventilation and visibility.

    First, ventilation is extremely important for any living thing because most living things inhale one gas and expel another. And if you have no ventilation, then your environment starts to become overwhelmed with the type of gas that you expel therefore blocking you from breathing.

    In this case, hamsters breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide, just like humans. In a glass cage with no ventilation, they may eventually run out of oxygen. That’s why ventilation is so extremely important for any cage, including glass.

    And second, when hamsters aren’t sleeping, they love to look at things and explore. They like to check out their environment, see what’s happening on and around their cage, and generally just like to be in the know. So blocking their visibility into their environment can cause them stress and sometimes even anger.

    Now, you may not choose a tinted glass cage, but glass cages generally offer less visibility anyways because it’s hard for hamsters to see through.

    For those 2 reasons, most hamster cages are actual cages to provide sufficient ventilation and visibility. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use a glass cage for a hamster, you just have to know what they need.

    Can a hamster live in a rabbit cage?

    Yes, hamsters can live in a rabbit cage, but most rabbit cages contain larger openings between the bars and because hamsters are so much smaller, they are more likely to escape. As long as your hamster can’t escape through the bars, a rabbit cage is just fine for your hamster.

    While very different animals, rabbits and hamsters are generally similar in the type of home they need. They both need sufficient ventilation, visibility, and similar types of bedding. So you might think that you can use a rabbit cage for your hamster, and you’re correct.

    Can a hamster live in a rabbit cage

    However, the biggest difference between a rabbit cage and a hamster cage is the size. Naturally, rabbits are much larger than hamsters, so they require more space. You’ll likely have a bigger cage and larger openings between the bars to give the rabbit more visibility into their environment.

    That poses a bit of a problem when you put a hamster in that cage. While a rabbit may not escape through those relatively larger openings, a hamster might. And a hamster escape is not something you want on your hands.

    So while you can use a rabbit cage for your hamster, you’ll want to make sure that the bar openings aren’t large enough for your hamster to escape through.

    The other thing to look out for is that there are often times a plastic liner at the bottom of a rabbit cage that has a high side wall. For a rabbit, it’s no problem because they are large and tall enough to see however. But sometimes it can be too tall for a hamster.

    If this is the case with your rabbit cage, you should add some type of platform at the bottom of their cage to offset the tall liner walls. You can also add a surplus of bedding as a makeshift platform as well. The main issue here is that you want to give your hamster visibility outside of their cage. And if the liner prevents that, then you’ll want to deal with it in some way.

    Why does my hamster not want to come out of their cage?

    There may be a few reasons your hamster doesn’t want to come out of their cage, including that they’re scared, they have no desire, or they don’t need to come out of their cage. Depending on their behavior and environment, there could be any reason why they feel any of those 3 feelings.

    Hamsters are not robots. They have feelings and emotions just like people. So while you might be wondering why your hamster doesn’t want to come out of their cage, you should try and look at it from their perspective.

    Why does my hamster not want to come out of their cage

    A hamster’s cage is their home and their safe space for them. Leaving that space is dangerous, especially because in the wild hamsters are prey and not predators. This fear can make the outside of their cage seem dangerous, especially if they are new to your home or their cage. If this is the case, it takes time to give them the courage and knowledge that outside of their cage is safe.

    However, if you have other relatively larger animals in your house, especially cats, you’ll need to remove those animals from the room before taking your hamster out. Even if they are friendly, hamsters are unlikely to see that as the case and will be reluctant to leave their cage. You can also read more about letting your hamster run around your room.

    If your hamster has been in your home for a while, you think they feel safe, and they’re a content little fur ball, but they still don’t want to come out of their cage, they may just not be interested.

    Hamsters can want to do things and not want to do things. Once again, just like people. Like all types of animals, some hamsters are more introverted and others more extroverted. But what matters is what the hamster wants to do and sometimes they don’t want to leave their cage. And this can be for any number of reasons.

    So while you can coax your hamster out of their cage with treats or toys or activity, be mindful of what the hamster is expressing as they desire. After all, if you were happy and healthy staying at home and a giant was trying to pull you out your front door, you might not be so excited.

    How to keep my cat off the hamster cage?

    How to keep my cat off the hamster cage

    To keep your cat off your hamster cage, you should use double sided tape, aluminum foil, and spray your cat with water from a spray bottle. You need to teach your cat that the top of the hamster cage is not the place to be through deterrents and behavioral adjustments.

    Cats are an interesting house companion to a hamsters. Unlike hamsters, cats are predators meaning they seek out prey. And in the wild, a hamster would be considered prey.

    Because of this, you may find that your cat is overly interested in your hamsters and will likely hang around or on top of their cage. This is often times to keep an eye on the hamsters, but can also include more aggressive behavior like a hungry person looking at a slice of cake through a deli window.

    Luckily, you can deter your cat from sitting on top or hanging around the hamster cage by making it uncomfortable for them to do so. Double sided tape, aluminum foil, and spraying your cat with water are all great ways to deter them from seeing your hamster as a snack.

    How to keep the hamster cage from smelling?

    How to keep the hamster cage from smelling

    To keep a hamster cage from smelling, you should lightly wipe it down every day and fully clean it with soap and water at least once a week. You can also put out baking soda odor fresheners around the cage to capture any lingering smells.

    While we all love our furry friends, if we’re honest, sometimes they can start to smell. And that’s not exactly the most pleasant part about having a hamster. And while you may see a lot of tips and tricks, new types of bedding that doesn’t smell, and cages that capture and remove the smell, there’s one thing that always works.

    Cleaning the cage. That’s all you have to do. Just regularly clean the cage.

    You don’t need expensive, odor absorbing bedding or the latest technologically advanced cage. Just regularly wiping it down every day, doing a deep clean once a week with soap and water, and regularly changing the bedding is more than enough to get rid of any lingering smells.

    There’s nothing fancy here, just regular work. And keep in mind that it’s easier to do a little bit each day than wait a couple weeks and have to do a much deeper clean than normal.

    What is the minimum size for a dwarf hamster cage?

    The minimum size for a dwarf hamster cage is 24 inches long, 12 inches wide and 12 inches tall. That’s a normal size cage for a single dwarf hamster, but bigger is always better. So if you can go for a larger cage, you should go for that to give your hamster more space to live in and explore.

    What is the minimum size for a dwarf hamster cage

    The size of a hamster cage is always an interesting question because cages can always be bigger to a point. Hamsters need room to live and explore and giving them that ability is important for them to live long and fulfilling lives. So then the question becomes what is the minimum size for a hamster cage.

    So while the minimum size is 24x12x12, you should see if you can get something bigger. There aren’t many cages smaller than that size and you want to give your hamster more than the minimum.

    If you can get a larger cage, you can look at extending the size of their cage using tubes. These types of tubes are great to give your hamster more space to explore. They generally connect to one entrance of your hamsters cage, extend out and around the cage, and then connect to another entrance. You can also get tubes that leave from one entrance and connect to the tube a second time, so you only need 1 entrance into the cage to make it work.

    Generally, you should get a larger cage for your hamster, but you can also look at extending the size of the cage using tubes.

    Additional Resources

    There’s been a lot of information covered in this article, but we always like to provide a few more resources so you can read more about the topics we covered. All of the following websites are great resources for additional information and we recommend you check them out below:

    Conclusion

    This information covered the most common questions and issues when it comes to hamster cages. Everything from the types of cages, such as glass or rabbit cages, the sizes, and common behavior. And not just your hamster’s behavior, but your cat’s as well!

    Just remember that your hamster’s cage is their home and you would want a large, comfortable home, so do the same for your hamster. Don’t go the minimum size and don’t skimp on the quality. After all, a fully decked out cage will help your hamster live a longer and more fulfilling life. And that’s what we want for our furry friends at the end of the day.

    So hopefully this article was helpful, but if you have more questions that you want answered, feel free to reach out to us at our Contact Us page.