Hamster housing - advice please

[alwaysthepessimist]

DD 6 is asking for a couple of dwarf hamsters, we have 2 gerbils already which she loves and some fish, I am seriously considering hamsters but wanted to know what the best set up for them would be? I would hate for them to be somewhere too small (our gerbils are housed in a gerbilarium that is designed for up to 6 rather than just the 2 of them) and she gets them out daily to play with & check they are ok. I have looked at cages for hamsters but am also looking at rotastak & ovo habitrail - any opinions of which is best or can you give me advice on what you have done for yours? If we did get them we would get 2 minimum, same sex.

thanks in advance

Hamsters need to live by themselves unless they are sisters from the same litter who have lived together from birth, and even then, you need to be prepared to separate them immediately if they start fighting. Boys: definitely one per cage.

The minimum required cage floor space for a hamster is 80x50cm. They’re small animals but they run about 5 miles a day and need the space, not just a wheel. Have a look at these cages:

• ZooPlus Barney
• Savic Hamster Heaven
• Alaska

@ThomasRichard - thanks for that - I didn't know they may need to be separated, I had read that they liked to be in the same sex family groups (like the gerbils) but this is why I am asking advice from owners now rather than the pet shop! I will look into those cages you suggest, the gerbilarium we have is the very large savic so I am a little familiar with that brand.

Hamsters seem to be scrappy little beasties! I’d definitely recommend asking to watch the hamsters at the pet shop being handled so you can get an idea of their temperaments. My hamster is very shy and hates being handled, which essentially makes her a very expensive ornament rather than the suitable first pet we were hoping for. She’s cute but all she’s teaching my DD right now is respecting boundaries

I've actually just written this for another thread- hope you don't mind me copying and pasting!

Please bear in mind hamsters need much, much bigger cages than people used to believe- pets at home don't actually sell anything suitable in store, which they've had hundreds of complaints for (and petitions, e.g. www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/659/811/059/make-pets-at-home-sell-appropriately-sized-cages/).

For a syrian, you'd be looking at 80x50cm minimum. You can actually buy suitable cages online for cheaper than the tiny cages in P@H that should only be used for travel...

More info:
www.woodgreen.org.uk/pet_advice/557_hamster_accommodation
www.hamstercentral.com/community/housing/24124-guide-buying-cage.html

I've used this cage in the past, adapted with levels, and it was pretty good- was about £30 on amazon www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302477419229

I personally prefer homemade conversions from furniture though so have done that now smile

(Also bear in mind that an adult will need a wheel 11 inches in diameter- yet another thing pet shops conveniently forget to mention, because they don't want to ruin the fantasy that hamsters are cheap and easy pets that don't take up any room... www.hamstercentral.com/community/housing/62727-guide-suitable-hamster-wheels.html)

For a dwarf you can go a little smaller, though of course the bigger the better so I wouldn't if possible. Bar spacing is obviously something you have to be more careful of with them though. Conversions like this are becoming more and more common and are super easy to DIY www.gumtree.com/p/pet-equipment-accessories/hamster-cage-large-custom-ikea-detolf-cage-great-condition-lots-of-hamster-accs-included/1150381371

(In case it wasn't clear from that- I wouldn't touch rotastak or ovo habitrail with a bargepole, they are completely unsuitable for hamsters and it's a joke that they're sold! See youtube for a rabbithole of videos slamming them)