Small hamster cages.

Fassspo · 2020-08-27T10:59:04+00:00

How is it still "normal" these days to buy a hamster and keep them in a tiny cages? I was buying my hamster some toys yesterday and I was reminded of how small most of the pet shop cages were. Some of the bigger cages are not that expensive and you could even make your own (youtube tutorials). I feel some of these are more torture chambers. If we kept a cat or a dog in a room they could just about move in 24/7, then we'd in a lot of trouble. so why do we allow it for hamsters?

Kiire · 27/08/2020 12:01

Yanbu, mine are in a detolf from IKEA on its side, lots of the cages shouldn't be on sale.

RiseUpWiseUpEyesUp · 27/08/2020 12:02

I agree, I think it’s ridiculous that most pet stores don’t sell cages that are even close to the minimum size!

While we’re on the subject, it annoys me that rats are sold singularly as well.

Original poster

Fassspo · 27/08/2020 12:07

I wish people would do their research before buying hamsters as sometimes I think people genuinly believe hamsters are fine in these cages because it is normal in our society to have the image of a hamster in a tiny cage.
I just wish it would be illegal for cages so small to be sold so people wouldn't have the opportunity to buy them!

And yes I agree about the rats - very social so absurd some pet shops will sell them on their own but I suppose, same with cages, they just want money.

However, I did have a nice conversation with a lovely store assistant from petsathome yesterday who says she does steer people away from small cages but she's not allowed to stop them if they want to (of course).

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ilovebagpuss · 27/08/2020 12:10

YANBU when we got our first hammy we had the tiny cage after about a week I realised this is way too small. We bought a much bigger one and then connected the 2 so he had a decent home.
It made me so sad though having a caged pet we have never had another.

TheHappyHerbivore · 27/08/2020 12:10

YANBU. Rodents / small mammals are some of the most abused pets in this country and people think it’s fine because ‘it’s nice for children to have a pet’.

Like rabbits, who spend their lives in miserable tint hutches when they actually need at least 8 square feet of enclosure space and at least 24 square feet of exercise space, and should never be kept alone. Or poor little hamsters in tiny shoeboxes, dragged out to be manhandled by children all day when they’re naturally nocturnal.

I would love to see people waking up to the fact that these animals are often bad pets for children and require so much more space, care and time than they tend to get, but sadly that doesn’t seem to be happening.

Covert20 · 27/08/2020 12:14

Hamsters aren’t nocturnal, they’re crepuscular...😉

Original poster

Fassspo · 27/08/2020 12:16

@TheHappyHerbivore I feel like hamsters and other small pets as advertised as a great first pet for children, when really, as you mentioned, theyre nocturnal and also a lot of hamsters like their alone time and don't want to be manhandled all the time,
I find it incredibly sad when you hear of hamsters dying as they were squeezed to hard by a child and I always think "where were the parents???"

Yes rabbits are another animal which this country doesn't give sufficient space!

The worst for me was going to DD's parents evening and they had a gerbil in a tiny cage with no toys. I said to DD "Does that gerbil have toys?" And she said no but he goes to class to class and we take in turns feeding him".

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Original poster

Fassspo · 27/08/2020 12:17

@ilovebagpuss at least you realised! Some people let their hamsters live their life in a tiny cage and it is very very sad

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TheHappyHerbivore · 27/08/2020 12:19

@Covert20 I stand corrected!

I love the word crepuscular, you don’t hear it enough!

Covert20 · 27/08/2020 12:30

It is an awesome word @TheHappyHerbivore - I take any opportunity to use it! 😂

InDeoEstMeaFiducia · 27/08/2020 12:39

YANBU! The other thing that grinds my gears is a tiny wheel. Syrians need a large wheel. Our little guy is 2.8 and still going. He's not as fast as he was as a youngster but still cheeky. He's usually awake in the morning when we all get up so we have breakfast with him and he's also alert with the teenager later in the night. Ours has a self-built home - DS YouTube'd it.

They also need material to burrow as they are fossorial.

Syrians should definitely be on their own, however.

SlantyBaws · 27/08/2020 12:40

I totally agree. Our wee hammie is also in a detolf and has a rare old time (although he still loves to chew the chicken wire lid )

He also came from pets at home and we were sold a totally inadequate cage. Following some research online (which is NOT difficult) we upgraded to an Alaska and then the Detolf. It breaks my heart to think of all the other small furries abandoned in small cages. Agreed it should be against the law.

Gancanny · 27/08/2020 12:46

Yes to the wheels. The wheel for our Syrian is nearly the size of a dinner plate, when you compare it to the wheels generally offered at places like Pets At Home you can see how ridiculously undersized they are.

It annoys me when people don't take unwell or injured small furries to the vet because "it's just a hamster" or "they only live a couple of years anyway".

InDeoEstMeaFiducia · 27/08/2020 12:50

@Gancanny

Yes to the wheels. The wheel for our Syrian is nearly the size of a dinner plate, when you compare it to the wheels generally offered at places like Pets At Home you can see how ridiculously undersized they are.

It annoys me when people don't take unwell or injured small furries to the vet because "it's just a hamster" or "they only live a couple of years anyway".

Aw! I had to buy our hammy's bedding online during lockdown, and he got mites! I rang the vet and the vet saw him with distancing in place - it was quite funny, actually, I drove over with him in a travel cage, rang from car park, placed hammy on bonnet and they got him and took him in. Vet prescribed medication but said if he didn't recover than it was curtains for him because he was already past 2! What?! NO. Anyhow, he proved them all wrong. He did get some big scabs once the mites were gone but they all fell off. He's in his twilight, his fur is not as glossy and his eyes are not as bright, but he's still adorable to us and we're hoping for 3 years.

Emmelina · 27/08/2020 13:43

yANBU. We carefully researched sizes when buying a hamster cage and wheel! Visitors would ask how many we were keeping in there because they thought it was excessive but as she spent the majority of time in there she needed space. The cat can wander freely, the hamster needs to remain in the cage while unsupervised for her own safety!
We’ve recently bought gerbils and same rule applied. The biggest enclosure in the shop wasn’t big enough so I ordered a big one online! They have a marvellous time in there.

Emmelina · 27/08/2020 13:45

@Gancanny

Yes to the wheels. The wheel for our Syrian is nearly the size of a dinner plate, when you compare it to the wheels generally offered at places like Pets At Home you can see how ridiculously undersized they are.

It annoys me when people don't take unwell or injured small furries to the vet because "it's just a hamster" or "they only live a couple of years anyway".

Definitely. Even if it is unlikely to pull through, as hamsters are really good at hiding they’re unwell until it’s almost too late! What does that teach your children? You need to be a responsible pet owner and show the kids what to do when a loved pet falls ill.

FelicityBeedle · 27/08/2020 13:51

We made a homemade enclosure for my Lysander, it’s pretty much a hutch. I always thought they weren’t a wheel hamster until I got one the proper size, now she’s never off it even though she’s 2

InDeoEstMeaFiducia · 27/08/2020 13:51

Yes. The only indication we had that hammy wasn't right is that he was scratching himself A LOT and grooming himself a lot. The mites are too small to be seen by the naked eye. The vet just takes a small scraping and has a look under the microscope.

InDeoEstMeaFiducia · 27/08/2020 13:53

@FelicityBeedle

We made a homemade enclosure for my Lysander, it’s pretty much a hutch. I always thought they weren’t a wheel hamster until I got one the proper size, now she’s never off it even though she’s 2

Ours stuffs his pouches, jumps on the wheel, runs a bit, then jumps off and goes to hide his food, like he's travelled a long way to de-pouch. It's so cute. He's 2.8 now.

Gancanny · 27/08/2020 14:03

Ours isn't too fussed about his wheel these days, he'll go on it now and again but he's not on it all night long like he was when he was younger, but he's mad for the tunnelling. If you watch his cage you'll see a hump moving around under the substrate and then all of a sudden a head will pop out, he'll do whatever job it is he's popped out to do, then dig dig dig back underneath and away the hump travels again.

Vintagevixen · 27/08/2020 14:29

YANBU. We have just bought a new hamster Nibbles 2 after the sad demise of Nibbles 1. I have an Alaska cage but will upgrade to the ikea Detolf when I can get down to making a chicken wire lid for it!

6 inches of substrate at least and he is burrowing like crazy! he loves it. Plus a big wheel, as he is young he goes on it for ages. Got a meadow hay tube the other day which he now sleeps in.

Hate seeing those small cages, especially the ones that are supposed to be amazing because they have a tube in them.

ilovebagpuss · 28/08/2020 09:05

@Fassspo he seemed to like the 2 connected cages. One was huge with different levels and lots of places to hide/nest. The original small one we connected with a tube and put lots of hay and bedding bits in it and he used to create a lovely nest in there. It looked like it mirrored a more natural way for him to live with one part being burrow. I used to love watching him dragging his new bedding about to build his nest.

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 28/08/2020 09:21

The ones in the pet shops are really more travel cages imo, for if they have to go to the vets. They shouldn't have to live in them.

QueenofLouisiana · 28/08/2020 09:37

YANBU, DS had a hamster in a pets at home cage- then I realised that it wasn’t anywhere near the right size. She was much happier once I bought an Alaska cage and a big Trixi wheel.
New owners don’t know any better (not a criticism at all) and pet shops should provide only the right caging choices (ie. Alaska, Barney....) and info about things like detolf hacks.