Which hamster cage should I get?

[Streamer]

Hi. I’m doing my research before (hopefully) getting our first Syrian hamster and could do with some help with cages please. I keep on going round in circles, but I think I’ve narrowed it down to either the Savic Plaza https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/savic-plaza-hamster-and-rat-cage?istCompanyId=7255ccad-a1fc-4729-af31-478f79e5071c&istFeedId=76e58b12-7d9a-4c9b-91ec-9edf15b47c2d&istItemId=itxmxrlpm&istBid=t or the Ferplast criceti 100 https://www.petscorner.co.uk/small-animal/cages/ferplast-criceti-100-hamster-cage

Is one noticeably better than the other? Is it better to have the large top opening like in the Ferplast or smaller side/top opening like the plaza? The Ferplast also has tube attachments - do hamsters actually benefit from having external tubes for enrichment? I guess it also gives the possibility to attach a second cage.

There’s a big price difference, but I’m happy to pay it if the Ferplast is noticeably better. Is one cage better made than the other? How about ease of escape?

The other cages I like the look of are the acrylic tank style ones. Are they better? Does anyone have any recommendations of a good sized one? I’m sure I’ve seen some, but I feel like I’ve looked at hundreds of cages and my brain is a bit frazzled!

Thank you!

I'm not a hamster expert but both those cages look very small to me.

Really? Which size would you recommend?

We were given one of those when the cat presented us with a Syrian (no, we have no idea how it happened, either - and nobody in the area appeared to have lost one) and it was OK for a short time. However, they are more about the human wanting to look at the Hamster, rather than what the Hamster needs.

The friend who gave it to us had a large aquarium tank so that theirs had around three foot of depth in which to burrow and actually live as Hamsters rather than a moving exhibit (his words).

Too small. When Dd gets up I'll ask her because she's extremely passionate about this. She had one that size for her dwarf hamster and it was the minimum recommended size for him. Please don't get a ball, they are dangerous because their feet can't get trapped.

Have a read of this:

www.hamsterwelfare.com/cage-advice-and-evidence/

Hamster heaven fits size requirements I seem to remember

Thanks.
The acrylic cage I liked the look of is the Living World Eco which is mentioned in that article.

Which one did you have @NeverDropYourMooncup? My friend found a hamster walking down the street once. Never found his owner either despite putting up posters and asking on local fb groups etc.

We had the savic plaza for our male Syrian. It was perfect for him. Don't think they are so good for females as they are fussier!

Make sure you get the correct size wheel and provide plenty of enrichment otherwise they get bored and stressed and tend to chew the bars.

Join some of the Facebook groups, they have a lot of knowledge.

It was a while ago that we were given it, so it was an earlier model Ferplast with side and top access. From memory, going in from the top was better because it reduced the opportunities for the Hamster to escape (as its instinct was to go down to avoid human disturbance as it would do in the wild with a predator around) compared to skittling over the side as a cage part is lifted.

Our friend was adamant that the depth of the base was key for welfare and that humans wanting to see their hamster causes huge amounts of stress, as they are exposed and trapped in a position where their instinct knows they are in danger.

They need to dig and hide. Not in two inches, in as great a depth as possible.

Ours has a large glass enclosure, I can put really deep substrates in there for her to burrow and she's got the floor space that she needs. As a pp said there's some really good fb groups that you can join which will tell you recommended cage sizes but from memory the minimum floor space should be 50cm x 100cm (so I think the Savic Plaza fits that category but that is the MINIMUM size that your ham should have, I'd try to find something bigger)

We used cardboard on one side to build up 'walls' so the bedding wouldn't fall out which gave him plenty of space to burrow.

Thanks. Both the Plaza and the Fetplast one I linked to do meet that size (I think the Ferplast is slightly wider), but I’ll see what bigger cages I can find. I was going to get the screw on acrylic walls you can buy on Etsy to make it very deep on one half.

What size is your tank @pamplemoussemousse? Is it very heavy?

I will join the FB group.

We have two of the plaza. They are fine. Not too small.

@Streamer it's 120x50, it's only been moved once when we moved house but yes it's heavy 🤣 2 person job

As big as possible.

@lunaalice do you have 2 joined together or do they house separate hamsters?
@pamplemoussemousse how do you clean it?!

I would never go smaller than 100x50 cm, especially for a syrian, and if you can go bigger than that then even better. And definitely nothing with tubes, they are way too easy to dislodge, and then you've got a hamster on the loose.

I had the savic plaza as a temporary home for my female syrian though, before moving her to a glass tank style enclosure, and she hated it. Females are notoriously difficult to please, and she spent most of her waking hours trying to bite her way through the bars, and repeatedly monkey barring to the top of the cage before falling back down. I was genuinely worried she was going to do herself an injury.

I would definitely recommend something without bars if at all possible. I would have really liked the Living Eco World one, but they were impossible to find at the time, not sure if that has changed now. There is also the large Zoo Zone which meets minimum size requirements: https://www.jollyes.co.uk/zoo-zone-large-small-animal-habitat.html

If you did get the savic plaza though, and you find that your hamster does start bar biting, there is the option to replace the barred sides with acrylic. It's a pricey option, but would be worth considering: https://www.vikinglaser.co.uk/product/savic-plaza-complete-cage-screens/

Ours had a mamble cage, the 100cm one. We could fit in the big wheel, a hammock and a decent amount of bedding. Well built, the cage is still in the loft having long outlasted the hamster!

Those are far too small. How about the Ikea Detolf? Lots of people use that. You can add your own topper made from an old fashioned cage if you want. Have a look on Youtube for some Detolf setups.

Wild hamsters travel for miles (literally!) every night, so a little plastic pet shop enclosure is like you or I being tied up in a cupboard under the stairs.

@Streamer she gets spot cleaned every few days and full clean once a month, I just scoop it all out with a dustpan.

2 hamsters x

What did you get in the end? There is a bigger 120 Plaza cage that is great. If it's for a female Syrian you want to go as big as you can! If it's for a male, the standard 100cm Plaza cage is fine. Hamsters rarely bar chew once the cage is 100cm or larger - and providing they have enough bedding and contents so it's cluttered and not too much open space. Personally I prefer a large front opening door for better interaction. You don't need to take the bars off for cleaning with the Plaza cages - you can do everything through the door.