Hamster Supplies:
There are thousands of supplies on the market for small rodent pets. However, many of them are not suitable for hamsters. Yes, EVEN if they are labeled for hamsters! Some supplies MAY be okay for dwarf hamsters but not for Syrian hamsters. Here I hope to help guide you to products that not only work well but also fit your type of hamster!
There are thousands of supplies on the market for small rodent pets. However, many of them are not suitable for hamsters. Yes, EVEN if they are labeled for hamsters! Some supplies MAY be okay for dwarf hamsters but not for Syrian hamsters. Here I hope to help guide you to products that not only work well but also fit your type of hamster!
Cages:
Possibly the single most important thing you will ever buy for your hamster is it's cage. Think of your home that you live in. Now - How small of a space would you be happy with living your entire LIFE in. Your bathroom? Your closest? Your bedroom? Half of your house? Your hamster has a much shorter life then we do. They will spend almost there entire life inside there cage. Sure , you will take them out for short bursts but there life is in there cage. Let this be on your mind when you pick a cage for your hamster. The USA has some of the smallest "cage" recommendations for pet rodents of almost any country. For this reason you may find some of the cages listed here are harder to find in store but Amazon usually has a great selection!
Possibly the single most important thing you will ever buy for your hamster is it's cage. Think of your home that you live in. Now - How small of a space would you be happy with living your entire LIFE in. Your bathroom? Your closest? Your bedroom? Half of your house? Your hamster has a much shorter life then we do. They will spend almost there entire life inside there cage. Sure , you will take them out for short bursts but there life is in there cage. Let this be on your mind when you pick a cage for your hamster. The USA has some of the smallest "cage" recommendations for pet rodents of almost any country. For this reason you may find some of the cages listed here are harder to find in store but Amazon usually has a great selection!
Cages for Syrian Hamsters:
These are my top pick for cages in order of personal preference.
(I have not included GLASS Aquariums in this list. You can also use a 20 long or larger glass aquarium for 1 standard hamster. )
#1:) Colossal Castle Hamster Cage - [32.5 x 19.5 x 17.5 inches] - This cage is AWESOME! It is even one of the very few hamster cages I know of that comes with the appropriate wheel for a Syrian Hamster! This wheel is awesome all the way around! I always recommend additional toys and ledges but this cage really starts you off well! I can't say anything bad about it! It's AMAZING!
#2:) Savic Hamster Heaven Metro - [31.5 x 20 x 20 inches] - Another really awesome cage. However, you will likely want to replace the wheel with a sturdier one. Otherwise, this cage is great!
#3:) Savic Mickey 2 X-Large - [34 x 23 x 12.4 inches] - I don't know much about this cage since I haven't personally used it but it is a really nice looking spacious cage. I don't like that it has a wire shelf. While wire is easier to clean, it's not good on there small feet. I would put a seagrass mat over the wire platform or remove it all together and replace with wood shelves. Like most cages, be prepared to replace the wheel but overall a nice sized hamster cage.
#4:) Savic Mickey X- Large - [31.5 X 20 X 15.5 inches] - Very similar to the #3 cage listed here, just a little different configuration. Again, I would remove the wire shelf or cover it with a seagrass mat.
#5:) Ferplastic HAMSTERVILLE - [23.6 x 13.4 x 19.3 inches] - I'm only putting this cage over the #6 cage because of the additional height. I have this cage and it looks awesome but I do have a small love/hate relationship with it. It will take some basic tools to put together. When put together it sure looks NICE for a hamster cage. Floor space wise, is a little small but it's acceptable, especially if the foot print of the cage is a concern. The wheel is junk - trash it. The house is only big enough for ONE tiny dwarf hamster so again, not useful. The water bottle is sub par at best but ok for a back up. Cleaning is the hardest part. The bottom ramp gets in your way of pulling out the base. I did away with the bottom ramp all together and put a house down there. There is just BARELY enough room to fit a 8" wheel if you reconfigure the platforms. I have made it work. The 2 entry doors are small but acceptable. The platforms are lightly coated so you can wipe them off if they get dirty. I've added additional toys.
#6:) Favola Hamster Cage - [23.6 x 14.4 x 11.8 inches] - I have a LOT of these cages. They are one of my favorites for stacking. However to use for a Syrian it requires some modifications. The wheel is a joke, like usual in most cages. I tossed it. The water bottle is way too small. To add an 8" wheel you have to take out the plastic middle platform. The cage will still snap together without the platform in place. I add many additional ramps and ledges. The only real downfall is there is only 1 door on TOP of the cage. So if you stack them, like me, you have take the top cages off to get into it. That is my only real complaint. I wish it had a front door! This cage is bordering on small for a Syrian but it is acceptable in my opinion. Bigger is better but if space is an option it is the smallest I would go!
These are my top pick for cages in order of personal preference.
(I have not included GLASS Aquariums in this list. You can also use a 20 long or larger glass aquarium for 1 standard hamster. )
#1:) Colossal Castle Hamster Cage - [32.5 x 19.5 x 17.5 inches] - This cage is AWESOME! It is even one of the very few hamster cages I know of that comes with the appropriate wheel for a Syrian Hamster! This wheel is awesome all the way around! I always recommend additional toys and ledges but this cage really starts you off well! I can't say anything bad about it! It's AMAZING!
#2:) Savic Hamster Heaven Metro - [31.5 x 20 x 20 inches] - Another really awesome cage. However, you will likely want to replace the wheel with a sturdier one. Otherwise, this cage is great!
#3:) Savic Mickey 2 X-Large - [34 x 23 x 12.4 inches] - I don't know much about this cage since I haven't personally used it but it is a really nice looking spacious cage. I don't like that it has a wire shelf. While wire is easier to clean, it's not good on there small feet. I would put a seagrass mat over the wire platform or remove it all together and replace with wood shelves. Like most cages, be prepared to replace the wheel but overall a nice sized hamster cage.
#4:) Savic Mickey X- Large - [31.5 X 20 X 15.5 inches] - Very similar to the #3 cage listed here, just a little different configuration. Again, I would remove the wire shelf or cover it with a seagrass mat.
#5:) Ferplastic HAMSTERVILLE - [23.6 x 13.4 x 19.3 inches] - I'm only putting this cage over the #6 cage because of the additional height. I have this cage and it looks awesome but I do have a small love/hate relationship with it. It will take some basic tools to put together. When put together it sure looks NICE for a hamster cage. Floor space wise, is a little small but it's acceptable, especially if the foot print of the cage is a concern. The wheel is junk - trash it. The house is only big enough for ONE tiny dwarf hamster so again, not useful. The water bottle is sub par at best but ok for a back up. Cleaning is the hardest part. The bottom ramp gets in your way of pulling out the base. I did away with the bottom ramp all together and put a house down there. There is just BARELY enough room to fit a 8" wheel if you reconfigure the platforms. I have made it work. The 2 entry doors are small but acceptable. The platforms are lightly coated so you can wipe them off if they get dirty. I've added additional toys.
#6:) Favola Hamster Cage - [23.6 x 14.4 x 11.8 inches] - I have a LOT of these cages. They are one of my favorites for stacking. However to use for a Syrian it requires some modifications. The wheel is a joke, like usual in most cages. I tossed it. The water bottle is way too small. To add an 8" wheel you have to take out the plastic middle platform. The cage will still snap together without the platform in place. I add many additional ramps and ledges. The only real downfall is there is only 1 door on TOP of the cage. So if you stack them, like me, you have take the top cages off to get into it. That is my only real complaint. I wish it had a front door! This cage is bordering on small for a Syrian but it is acceptable in my opinion. Bigger is better but if space is an option it is the smallest I would go!
A Note about CRITTER TRAILS - I Never recommend any of the critter trails. Yes, I know there are some really cute ones. I have spent many years trying to make them work - even as temporary housing. The number one thing I'm going to tell you is they are HARD TO CLEAN. Rodents like to pee and poop as they walk. That means inside of all the tubes and tunnels. If you are a clean freak like me, it's a pain in the butt to fully disassemble the cage each week to clean them all. Not to mention rodents like to run and hide in the tubes when you open the door. This can make getting your hamster out very hard. Critter Trails are also risky if you have other pets. Tubes that attach OUTSIDE of the cage can sometimes be knocked off leaving an open door for your hamster to walk right out. I have heard of many dogs and cats knocking the tubes off and getting to the hamster. Plus it's worth mentioning the top and bottom of the cage DO break easily if you drop them.
If you are more stubborn then me, NEVER use a critter trail for anything other then a dwarf or Robo hamster. EVER. Critter Trails DO NOT WORK FOR SYRIAN HAMSTERS. EVER. SYRIAN HAMSTERS GET TOO BIG AND FAT TO GET THROUGH THE TUNNELS. I have even heard about them getting STUCK.
If you are more stubborn then me, NEVER use a critter trail for anything other then a dwarf or Robo hamster. EVER. Critter Trails DO NOT WORK FOR SYRIAN HAMSTERS. EVER. SYRIAN HAMSTERS GET TOO BIG AND FAT TO GET THROUGH THE TUNNELS. I have even heard about them getting STUCK.
Cages for Dwarf Hamsters:
MOST all of the cages I have listed above will also work for Dwarf Hamsters depending on how large of a cage you want to work with. With any small animal, the bigger the better. If you plan to keep a small colony of dwarf hamsters together you really want to go with a sizable cage as well. I really hate to put a minimum sized cage for a dwarf hamster but nothing smaller then 20X10X10 inches or a 10 gallon aquarium for 1 hamster. Although bigger is better. There are WAY too many small cages on the market that are just TOO Small. These little animals are very active and need room to run, climb, dig and play. In addition to having room to eat, sleep and potty. You will get many hours of joy just watching your hamster scurry around there cage playing. So many of the small cages on the market just don't allow for that. As I already mention, most of the cages listed above would work great for dwarf hamsters. So here I am going to list some "other" cage options BESIDES the cages listed above. Many of the cages listed above would still be my preferences.
#1:) Prevue Hendryx - [22.5 x 12 x 12.5 inches] - I've used this one. Overall the shell of the cage is pretty good. Ditch the wheel all together. I do not ever recommend these slatted cheap wheels. Not a huge fan of the wire shelves but those can be removed and replaced with wood shelves or ramps.
#2:) Large 3 Tier Hamster Cage - [24 x 12.5 x 16 inches ] -This one looks good on paper but I don't have any real life trials to tell you if the cage is good or not. That is the only reason I don't have this cage in the #1 spot here. It looks like a promising cage, possibly better then the Prevue cage I have listed in #1 here but I know nothing about this brand. Some brands can look great on paper but the actual product is terrible.
#3) Ferplast Duna Fun Hamster Cage - [21.65 x 18.5 x 14.76 inches] - If you like the look of critter tail cages but want to avoid the major headaches they come with, this one might be for you. I'm a fan of the brand in general because there products are usually above average in the hamster cage market. You may want to replace the wheel and use a larger water bottle.
MOST all of the cages I have listed above will also work for Dwarf Hamsters depending on how large of a cage you want to work with. With any small animal, the bigger the better. If you plan to keep a small colony of dwarf hamsters together you really want to go with a sizable cage as well. I really hate to put a minimum sized cage for a dwarf hamster but nothing smaller then 20X10X10 inches or a 10 gallon aquarium for 1 hamster. Although bigger is better. There are WAY too many small cages on the market that are just TOO Small. These little animals are very active and need room to run, climb, dig and play. In addition to having room to eat, sleep and potty. You will get many hours of joy just watching your hamster scurry around there cage playing. So many of the small cages on the market just don't allow for that. As I already mention, most of the cages listed above would work great for dwarf hamsters. So here I am going to list some "other" cage options BESIDES the cages listed above. Many of the cages listed above would still be my preferences.
#1:) Prevue Hendryx - [22.5 x 12 x 12.5 inches] - I've used this one. Overall the shell of the cage is pretty good. Ditch the wheel all together. I do not ever recommend these slatted cheap wheels. Not a huge fan of the wire shelves but those can be removed and replaced with wood shelves or ramps.
#2:) Large 3 Tier Hamster Cage - [24 x 12.5 x 16 inches ] -This one looks good on paper but I don't have any real life trials to tell you if the cage is good or not. That is the only reason I don't have this cage in the #1 spot here. It looks like a promising cage, possibly better then the Prevue cage I have listed in #1 here but I know nothing about this brand. Some brands can look great on paper but the actual product is terrible.
#3) Ferplast Duna Fun Hamster Cage - [21.65 x 18.5 x 14.76 inches] - If you like the look of critter tail cages but want to avoid the major headaches they come with, this one might be for you. I'm a fan of the brand in general because there products are usually above average in the hamster cage market. You may want to replace the wheel and use a larger water bottle.
Wheels:
Many people ask me if Hamsters NEED wheels? My answer is always YES! Hamsters are very high energy active animals. They are not genetically designed to lazy couch potatoes that just lay around. They need to move, a LOT. They will spend hours every night running on a wheel. So the 2nd most important thing you should consider for your hamster setup is a wheel. There are hundreds of wheels on the market and many of them are not the best. I highly recommend avoiding wire or slatted plastic wheels. While rare, hamsters do occasionally get injured on these wheels. Solid plastic wheels are the easiest to clean and most user friendly for your hamster. Many wheels out there are noisy and they click, squeak or thump all night long while your hamster is running. This is not an issue to your hamster but it annoys many hamster owners. Remember hamsters are up at night when you usually want to sleep.
Your hamster should not be arching it's back in order to run on the wheel. This can cause spine and back issues in older hamsters.
Syrian Hamsters should have a wheel NO SMALLER then 8". Larger, 9 or 10" wheels are OK too!
Campbells Dwarf Hamsters should ideally have a 6 - 7" wheel. Larger may be too hard for them to spin.
Robo Dwarf Hamsters can usually get away with 5" wheels but 6" is even better.
Many people ask me if Hamsters NEED wheels? My answer is always YES! Hamsters are very high energy active animals. They are not genetically designed to lazy couch potatoes that just lay around. They need to move, a LOT. They will spend hours every night running on a wheel. So the 2nd most important thing you should consider for your hamster setup is a wheel. There are hundreds of wheels on the market and many of them are not the best. I highly recommend avoiding wire or slatted plastic wheels. While rare, hamsters do occasionally get injured on these wheels. Solid plastic wheels are the easiest to clean and most user friendly for your hamster. Many wheels out there are noisy and they click, squeak or thump all night long while your hamster is running. This is not an issue to your hamster but it annoys many hamster owners. Remember hamsters are up at night when you usually want to sleep.
Your hamster should not be arching it's back in order to run on the wheel. This can cause spine and back issues in older hamsters.
Syrian Hamsters should have a wheel NO SMALLER then 8". Larger, 9 or 10" wheels are OK too!
Campbells Dwarf Hamsters should ideally have a 6 - 7" wheel. Larger may be too hard for them to spin.
Robo Dwarf Hamsters can usually get away with 5" wheels but 6" is even better.
Syrian Hamster Wheels :
#1:) Niteangel Super Silent Hamster Wheel - I love Niteangel hamster products and this wheel is no exception! They have 3 sizes Small 8", Medium 10" and Large 11". They also come in a huge assortment of colors! I can't say anything bad about these wheels! They ROCK! If you are torn on which wheels to get, GET THIS ONE!
#2:) Silent Runner 9" by Exotic Nutrition - I'm putting this wheel in the 2nd place only because it's larger at 9". This will fit even those really BIG Syrians that are just a hair too big for an 8" wheel.
#3:) Zacro Hamster Wheel - Freestanding - YES! THIS WHEEL ROCKS! I love this wheel. It is SO QUIET! It's an 8" wheel so if you have a really BIG Syrian it may still be too small but otherwise this is my favorite wheel. The only reason I have it this far down is the size. It is ideal for most Syrians but some may still need a bigger wheel.
#4:) Zacro Hamster Wheel - Cage Mount - Can we say SILENT! I have several of these wheels and they are so quiet you can actually hear your hamsters little feet pitter pattering on the wheel. The one issue I have with this wheel is they are a pain in the butt to take off and put on the cage. If your cage has small doors it can be even more frustrating to take off and on when you need to clean it. It's doable. I do it but it's a mild annoyance. If at all possible I recommend the free standing version listed in #3. If you need a wire mount wheel just expect it to need some fiddling to get the washers and bolts on just right.
Yes, there may be a handful of other big wheels out there but I feel they fall short on the overall quality or silent aspect compared to these.
#1:) Niteangel Super Silent Hamster Wheel - I love Niteangel hamster products and this wheel is no exception! They have 3 sizes Small 8", Medium 10" and Large 11". They also come in a huge assortment of colors! I can't say anything bad about these wheels! They ROCK! If you are torn on which wheels to get, GET THIS ONE!
#2:) Silent Runner 9" by Exotic Nutrition - I'm putting this wheel in the 2nd place only because it's larger at 9". This will fit even those really BIG Syrians that are just a hair too big for an 8" wheel.
#3:) Zacro Hamster Wheel - Freestanding - YES! THIS WHEEL ROCKS! I love this wheel. It is SO QUIET! It's an 8" wheel so if you have a really BIG Syrian it may still be too small but otherwise this is my favorite wheel. The only reason I have it this far down is the size. It is ideal for most Syrians but some may still need a bigger wheel.
#4:) Zacro Hamster Wheel - Cage Mount - Can we say SILENT! I have several of these wheels and they are so quiet you can actually hear your hamsters little feet pitter pattering on the wheel. The one issue I have with this wheel is they are a pain in the butt to take off and put on the cage. If your cage has small doors it can be even more frustrating to take off and on when you need to clean it. It's doable. I do it but it's a mild annoyance. If at all possible I recommend the free standing version listed in #3. If you need a wire mount wheel just expect it to need some fiddling to get the washers and bolts on just right.
Yes, there may be a handful of other big wheels out there but I feel they fall short on the overall quality or silent aspect compared to these.
Dwarf Hamster Wheels : There are probably hundreds of different wheels on the market. Many are subpar at best. There are very few that really impress me these days. Ideally, for a Dwarf hamster I would want a 6" wheel that is easy to clean, safe for the hamster and quiet. Here are my personal favorites.
#1:) Kaytee Silent Spinner Wheel 6" - This is the wheel I have in most of my cages. It is quiet and it seems to hold up well. It is also easy to take out and clean off once a week when I clean cages. I'm not as impressed with it as the larger Niteangel wheels but as far as small wheels go, it's good. There are SMALLER ones that are this same brand that I do not recommend simply because they are too small.
#2: Pezilla Quiet Hamster Wheel - Another quiet wheel in an appropriate size. It's honestly probably better then then Kaytee wheel I have in #1 but the price point is a bit more expensive. If your okay spending a little more this wheel is worth it!
#3:) Goldeal 5.1" Silent Wheel - I am ONLY putting this wheel here for the smallest Roboroski hamsters. Personally, it is too small for most Campbell's Dwarf hamsters. Great wheel if only they had it in a 6" size for all of the dwarf hamsters!
#1:) Kaytee Silent Spinner Wheel 6" - This is the wheel I have in most of my cages. It is quiet and it seems to hold up well. It is also easy to take out and clean off once a week when I clean cages. I'm not as impressed with it as the larger Niteangel wheels but as far as small wheels go, it's good. There are SMALLER ones that are this same brand that I do not recommend simply because they are too small.
#2: Pezilla Quiet Hamster Wheel - Another quiet wheel in an appropriate size. It's honestly probably better then then Kaytee wheel I have in #1 but the price point is a bit more expensive. If your okay spending a little more this wheel is worth it!
#3:) Goldeal 5.1" Silent Wheel - I am ONLY putting this wheel here for the smallest Roboroski hamsters. Personally, it is too small for most Campbell's Dwarf hamsters. Great wheel if only they had it in a 6" size for all of the dwarf hamsters!
