Masterpost: First Hamster Cage + Equipment
At first, if you want to adopt a dwarf buy 2 of the biggest Samla boxes…
… and at least 2, better 3, if you want to adopt a Syrian/teddy. That’s 14,99$ for each box, 5$ for each lid, and 0,50$ for the clip locks.
Here you find more supplies for your cage that you can buy at Ikea!
Read the whole text post first before you go and buy stuff though :o)
Please note that I refer to a single hamster as “they” - don’t keep hamsters together. You can read why I’m against keeping hamsters in pairs or groups here and here.
For a dwarf, you’ll buy 2 Samlas, 2 lids, 2x clip locks = 41$
For a Syrian you can buy 3 Samlas etc. = 61,5$ (But 2 Samlas are okay too, if you let them run in a safe area in your apartment.)
You can also buy old fish tanks that are leaking - mostly they are between 20-60$, but also very heavy - Samla boxes are much lighter but don’t look as cool.
Then you prepare the lids likes this, by using a jigsaw, mesh and duct tape on top! You can then clip the lid on the box with your clip locks.
Some dwarfs won’t need it, but for bigger hamsters, a lid very much recommended (Syrians can jump pretty high). Don’t just cut holes in the lid because then your hamster won’t get enough fresh air.
You connect all of your Samla boxes by using a jig saw and some kind of wooden tunnel (nothing made out of plastic) or a cork tube. Anything that fits and your hamster can’t chew through.
Just saw holes in the boxes - make sure that the tunnel is big enough for your hamster to easily run through with full cheek pouches! (3″ for dwarf, 4″ for Syrian)
Now make sure that you’ll find a good wheel for your hamster. Click here to find out how to spot a good hamster wheel! No mesh wheels!
8-11″ for a dwarf, 12″+ for a Syrian - otherwise they’ll get spine problems and back pain!
Now fill the cages with 10-12+” of bedding.
You don’t need 10″ of bedding in the entire cage but make sure your hamster has at least one area of 10″ bedding when it’s a dwarf and an area of 12″ of bedding for a Syrian!
You can put different layers of bedding in your cage (for example a layer of normal bedding, then a layer of soft hay and so on) so that tunnels don’t collapse and stay solid. Like this:
Next you can find or build a chamber house!
Your hamster needs one because it represents their natural burrows so that they can choose which chamber to use for sleeping, storing food and so on. It should have at least 2 connected, big chambers! More is always better.
Here you can find a easy tutorial on how to build a chamber house!
If you want your hamster to have a bigger one like the one I built recently, you can message me for a tutorial or build one yourself, it’s pretty easy. It should have stands so it doesn’t move, holes big enough to fit through with full cheek pouches (2-3″ dwarf, 3-4″ Syrian) and one big sleeping chamber! It has no floor, so the hamster can dig out and a lid that you can open if you need to clean it. (Clean their toilet every day)
Here you can see the “luxury” version of my chamber hourse. (It was about 12$ for all the materials :o) )
Don’t forget to give your hamster nesting material: unperfumed toilet paper.
Do not use hamster wool as it often tangles around your hamster’s limb and can easily suffocate or kill your hamster!
Your hamster will soon put a lot of nesting material in his cheeks and build their very own nest and start sleeping in it! :)
Also give your hamster hay! They eat it and use it as nesting material.
Now your hamster needs a sand bath and a toilet. You can read here why I recommend giving your hamster both (it’s much cleaner!) Do use sand (not dust!) for their toilet + sand baths.
Next you can give them more hideouts. Little wooden houses (make sure they are solid and have no dangerouns holes where your hamster tries to fit through), cork tubes (big enough), you can build hideouts made of flower pots or clay, maybe ceramic houses etc. I do not like and would not recommend anything made out of plastic (besides the wheel which should be made out of hard plastic)
Then your hamster of course needs a water bowl (better a water bottle).
Clean it every day and make sure to clean the “slimy” bottom of it too.
Make sure you find the right food for your hamster. Read this masterpost on hamster food and how to clean/feed your hamster. :-)
Don’t give your hamster a food bowl, instead put 1-2 tablespoons of food around the cage every day. That’s far more natural and keeps your hamster occupied than a bowl.
Don’t give your hamster licking stones or salt blocks!
Instead read these posts on natural chewing materials …
… and other ways how to distract your hamster! :)
Do not EVER use or buy a hamster ball. Please read this masterpost on raceballs.
I hope I didn’t forget anything.
You can build your hamster a fenced and safe run area for your hamster to explore and exercise! :)
Make sure to adopt your future hamster, not buy one from the pet store!
Also better do not support pet stores at all unless they don’t sell any living animals.
I am also against buying pets at breeders because we already have too many animals on this world who are dying and suffering and living in terrible conditions because breeders and pet stores always “produce” new animals and people buy them but don’t adopt the ones that do already exist.
When you are reading this and realizing you have a cage that isn’t suitable but you don’t have enough money to buy a new one, click here! :) (How to improve your hamster’s life with little money)
Please tell me if I forgot anything (and if you find spelling errors.)
I hope you all have a nice day! <3
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