Hamster cage

A hamster cage is an enclosure designed to house one hamster. It is recommended that hamster cages are at least 5000cm² (775 in of floor space) for dwarf hamster except Roborovski and 6000cm² for syrian and Roborovski, although there is evidence that hamsters experience less stress if housed in larger cages.[1] Commercially available pens are made of wire or plastic - both of which are unsafe for hamsters .[2] Some pet owners house their hamsters in aquarium tanks, and some make their own pens out of wood or safe materials like plexi .[2] Laboratory hamsters, commonly known as laboratory Syrian hamsters, are housed in pens designed for scientific use.[2] There are also special pens designed for hamster shows.[3]

Home-built enclosure for a Syrian hamster that measures 200x60x60cm (1860 sq in)
  1. ^ Kuhnen, Gernot (July 1999). "The effect of cage size and enrichment on core temperature and febrile response of the golden hamster". Laboratory Animals. 33 (3): 221–227. doi:10.1258/002367799780578246. ISSN 0023-6772. PMID 10780840.
  2. ^ a b c Logsdail, Logsdail & Hovers 2002, pp. 24–28.
  3. ^ Logsdail, Logsdail & Hovers 2002, pp. 165–66.