Hamsters, Mice and Gerbils

Minimum Cage Size

Hamsters and other small rodents need plenty of space to move about as they are highly active at night, often covering 3 miles+ when roaming about in the wild.

The minimum size requirements for a hamster enclosure has evolved hugely in the time we’ve been in business due to extensive research by animal welfare bodies. When we started in 2015, the RSPCA defined the minimum hamster cage size as 75cm x 40cm, but this was replaced by the more ambiguous statement of “pets should be able to exhibit all normal behaviours”. For small rodents, this means space to sleep, store food, roam, explore, dig, burrow, and climb.

We were delighted when the Blue Cross Animal Welfare Charity stepped up to define their minimum size recommendation as: 100cm length x 50cm width x 50cm height, and this is now the minimum size we work to.

The majority of commercial plastic cages don’t provide anywhere near the amount of space required, so do think twice before you buy – the more space you can give your pets, the happier they will be.

Our Pet Homes

We make 4 standard sizes of Pet Home for small pets – all of which will be suitable for your hamster, mice or gerbils depending on how much space you want to provide.

Our smallest size has been increased to meet the minimum Blue Cross Charity requirement with an increased floor area of 100x60cm and 2 height options.  We also offer a 120x60cm floor area with 2 height options (Standard height 120x60cm shown below) and if you’re looking for a truly luxurious home, you want to consider one of our extra large sizes (150x60cm or 180x60cm) typically used to house guinea pigs.To view our range of Hamster Cages, just click on the button below.

Can Hamsters be Housed in Pairs or Groups?

The simple advice from Blue Cross Animal Welfare is that “No, hamsters do not need company, and most species are naturally solitary and will fight if kept together.”

Although Roborovski hamsters have been kept in same sex sibling pairs, more often than not, they will end up falling out, particularly if there isn’t enough space or enrichment, so our advice is to keep them separate.

If you already have Roborovski hamsters living together harmoniously, we would advise having two of everything within the same enclosure – 2 x houses, bowls, bottles, and to avoid platform levels or compartments, which will help prevent territorial behaviour.  If your Robo hamsters start to fight, you must immediately separate them into different cages. Hamsters never play fight, so a fight will usually be quite serious.

Exercise

In the wild, hamsters can run up to 3-5 miles every night foraging for food, which is a long distance for such tiny feet! It’s therefore important your pet has access to an exercise wheel to fulfil this natural instinct.

Hamster Behaviour

Hamsters, mice and gerbils love to climb and burrow, so it’s important to give them the space and means to be able to do this.  

We offer a range of platforms, ladders, tunnels, and activity toys for enriching your little pet’s home.  Scroll down to view some options.

What if My Pet likes to Chew?

When hamsters and other small rodents chew their homes, it’s usually because they are bored and unhappy in too small a cage, or where they are unable to exhibit all of their natural behaviours.  Your hamster will be much happier in the largest home you can give them, with a deep substrate and plenty of interesting and fun activity toys to play with, and some wood/natural toys to gnaw on.

If your hamster has had a tendency to bar bite, this is most likely learned repetitive behaviour due to being unhappy in their current or past environment, particularly in the case of a rescue hamster.  To prevent your little pet from biting the bars of their cage, we recommend choosing a home with a perspex front, rather than one with bars or mesh.

We hope this information helps you choose the right home, but if you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

For further information and advice, why not join The Hamster Forum, which is a UK-based forum aimed at caring and sharing amongst the hamster loving community, and is an excellent source of information for all things hamster related.