Housing

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Proper housing is a major factor in maintaining healthy hamsters.

The psycho-social well being of the pets must be a primary

consideration.  Hamsters can be housed within enclosures made of

wire, stainless steel, durable plastic or glass.  The last three

materials are preferred because they resist corrosion.  Wood and

similar materials should not be used to construct enclosures

because they are difficult to clean and cannot withstand the

destructive gnawing of rodents.  Many pet stores sell durable

colored plastic enclosures that include attached horizontal and

vertical tubes through which the hamster can crawl for exercise.

These are suitable enclosures for hamsters.



The enclosure must be built so the hamsters cannot escape.  This

is an especially important consideration because hamsters are

proficient escape artists.  In fact, once free of their

enclosure, they are very difficult to find and rarely return to

it.  A hamster free to roam the house is a real liability because

it will chew and gnaw on electrical cords, telephone cords and

household furnishings.



The enclosure must also be free of sharp edges and other

potential hazards.  It must be roomy enough to allow normal

activities and breeding, if the latter is desired.  One

reference recommends at least 20 square inches of floor area per

hamster, and a cage height of at least six inches.



Hamsters seem to do best when housed in enclosures with solid

floors, relatively deep bedding, and abundant nesting material.

The enclosure should be easy to clean, well lighted, and

adequately ventilated (see Vital Statistics for preferred

temperature and relative humidity ranges).  Bedding must be

clean, nontoxic, absorbent, relatively dust-free and easy to

replace.  Shredded paper, wood shavings, and processed corn cob

are preferred bedding materials.  Cotton or shredded tissue paper

(Kleenex) is suitable nesting material.



Hamsters are primarily nocturnal (night-active), though they may

exhibit relatively short periods of activity throughout the day.

During their active period, hamsters eat and exercise.  Hamsters

seem to especially enjoy exercise wheels and other activities.

The plastic enclosures equipped with horizontal and vertical

tubes/tunnels mentioned above are highly recommended for this

reason.  Hamsters seem to really enjoy running through them.

They also enjoy tin cans opened at both ends and boxes with

multiple openings through which they can crawl.



Pet hamsters are usually housed singly.  Sexually mature females

must not be housed together because of their aggressiveness

toward each other.  Breeding females are larger than males and

tend to be aggressive toward them.  For this reason, males must

be removed from the enclosure after breeding has been completed.