Top 10 Best Hamster Cages in 2023 – Reviewed & Rated

If you are looking for a hamster cage, it is because you have decided to have a pet other than dogs and cats. This cute little animal can give good moments, but obviously, it is not easy to know what it needs, precisely because it is not very common to keep it at home. That’s why you need to have all the information you need to take care of him.

In this guide, we will focus on hamster cages. We will first see the best-selling and most popular models on the market. You can read a special section to know some essential aspects of this accessory, and finally, you will find those that are the criteria to keep in mind before purchasing.

Here we are providing you the best hamster cages that are listed below.

Everything You Need to Know About hamster Cages

Taking care of a pet is pleasant, but it is also challenging. This also applies to the hamster, who, in its small way, has specific needs. Even the place where he lives deserves the right care and maintenance. Below you can find our answers to the most frequent doubts about this pet and his ‘refuge’ in your home.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a Hamster as A Pet?

It often happens to go past a pet shop and see one or more children looking enthusiastically at the shop window. Almost with are admiring a group of Roborowsky hamsters and, this is not surprising, given how adorable they can be.

Below, you can find the reasons why it is worth making them part of the family, but also the disadvantages of having them at home.

Advantages

• Easy to look after
• They take up little space
• Very simple to tame
• More and more products are available on the market for them
• They are spotless animals
• They emit a slight smell because they don’t get dirty like other pets

Disadvantages

• They tend to stay awake at night (they are nocturnal animals)
• The cage cannot be placed anywhere because it may disturb other family members

What Aspects Should I Take Into Consideration for The Ideal Cage?

Obviously, before buying the cage, you need to know the size of your hamster, his lifestyle (if he moves a lot or if he is a quiet type), and the location you want to give the product at home. Of course, you need to know if you are going to place it on the floor or a table or other type of raised surface.

Once you have this information, you can find the right cage accordingly. The safety of your hamster will depend exclusively on you. So you must make sure that the place where your pet will go to rest and spend his life has adequate ventilation and that he does not receive direct sunlight.

Can I Put the Cage in My Room?

Once you have bought the right product for your pet, you need to evaluate its location at home. Not all places are suitable (hamsters cannot receive drafts because they tend to cool down in an instant, nor directly receive sunlight); moreover, these animals do not like noises very much, especially if they are loud.

As we have already said, these are animals that live mainly at night and tend to activate during the night. For this reason, thinking of keeping the cage in the room with you is not a good idea, at least that you do not want to spend the night in white!

Is It Right for A Hamster to Come out Of the Cage?

No species was born to live in a cage, so it is normal for the hamster to want to get out of it. However, this situation could bring inconveniences.

For example, you may lose sight of it or, since it is an animal that has hair, it could cause allergies. In this case, you need to take precautions and act accordingly.

However, getting the hamster out of its cage can improve its well-being: this rodent can suffer from anxiety, which would lead him to bite the pen.

If you do not realize his condition, he could develop diseases in the long run: the right solution would be to put a wheel in the cage so that the animal does not get bored and exercise.

It is a task that must be divided into three phases: a daily, a weekly, and monthly cleaning. In this way, you will be able to guarantee a good cleaning, even if you have to keep in mind that this rodent is very clean in itself.

The only thing you need to do daily is to remove the remains of the food, seeds, and crumbs.

Instead, once a week, you have to wash the manger and the drinking trough using hot water, but avoiding the use of detergents. If residues remain, the hamster can become intoxicated and die.

If both accessories are made of plastic, do not use boiling water as it may dissolve the material, releasing toxic substances.

How Can I Properly Disinfect the Cage?

In this paragraph, we will focus on monthly cleaning, which allows you to achieve maximum cleaning. We need to remove the substrate, food debris, and the bottom tray.

The whole cage should be washed using warm water and odor-free detergent. While cleaning, you can put the hamster in a crate or container to protect it.

Finally, use vinegar or chlorine to clean the bars and eliminate all the bacteria that are on the surface. You must also clean all the accessories and toys that are in the cage: rinse them with hot water to eliminate any residue. Finally, let the cage dry entirely before reinserting the hamster.

What Accessories Can I Put in A Cage?

First of all, you need to insert the right quality manager and drinker, possibly made of stainless steel. You can also add “beds.” There are several models, but the important thing is that they are comfortable for your friend. Furthermore, as we have already said, the typical exercise wheel cannot be missing.

The wooden cottage is another cute accessory that you can place in the cage: if the hamster feels comfortable, he will never want to leave it. There are also larger models (such as rodent castles), but they can only be placed in larger cages.

To make your friend make the most of his cage, you can put in some games. Among the most popular options, we have tunnels, mazes, and a whole range of sports. A very innovative product is the flying saucer, which replaces the wheel very well.

What Types of Substrates for Cages Are There?

A good quality bedding is essential for your friend to live happily in a healthy environment. There are many types of substrates, so you may be wondering which one is best for your little friend. To a large extent, his health also depends on this choice.

There are various options: classic shavings, flavored, and cedar shavings. The first ones, in natural wood, are the most used; the latter is the same as regular shavings but has some pleasant fragrances; the latter, however, should be avoided because they are very toxic to the hamster.

Green bedding is also available on the market, which can also be produced at home. We have included a table that lists everything you need to know about biological substrate:

• Corn Granulate Bedding Absorbs even from the deepest layers. It, therefore, allows the surface layers to remain dry.
• Recycled Paper Litter Biodegradable material, without chemical additives. Very soft.
• Straw Litter, This type of substrate, is edible and brings many fibers to the hamster’s feeding, improving its teeth.

Is a Cage Also Suitable for Other Types of Rodents?

In reality, these cages were explicitly designed for hamsters, but we must not discard them a priori for other animals. Most rodents are peaceful animals, which don’t bother much. However, a clarification must be made: even if the cage can be beautiful, the accessories will be useless.

If you want to use a hamster cage for other animals, do it only if you have an animal the size of a hamster; for example, if the animal in question is a white mouse, it will easily escape from the cage because it is too small. Instead, it is too large, and it will feel uncomfortable and may even get hurt.

How Can I Make the Cage Last a Long Time?

First of all, you need to do constant maintenance work and clean everything, as we explained before, including the grids and the base (daily, weekly, and monthly).

Then applying an antioxidant product on metal surfaces is an efficient strategy to do once a month. Sometimes you can also use a hinge lubricant to prolong the life of the cage and avoid unpleasant sounds.

Purchase Criteria

You have more or less already received all the information about the hamster cage. At this point, you need to focus on the critical purchase criteria before making the final choice. Below are the aspects that we think you need to keep in mind in order not to regret the cage you will buy:

• Accessories
• Form
• The base of the cage
• Materials
• dimensions

Accessories

We have already mentioned the most appropriate accessories for installing a hamster cage. If you buy a cage that is already complete with accessories, make sure these are of quality, like the rest.

This aspect is also essential for the health of your friend since it is he who uses it. If they break, they may leave strands that can harm them.

Form

A well thought out choice must be made regarding the structure of the cage. You will find many types, but you have to choose which one to buy based on the needs of your hamster. You must also refer to the space in which you are going to place it to avoid out of color or style out of tune.

Also, according to the shape of the house, we can add some accessories: in the low cages, it is not possible to install exercise wheels while it is possible to put tunnels.

This is one of the simplest and cheapest options. If you want your hamster to take advantage of all the accessories on the market, better buy a tall, rectangular cage.

The Base of The Cage

The base of the cage is another aspect that should not be underestimated. At most, you can also buy a cage without support, but you would make life more difficult for your pet because a lot of food would be lost.

Besides, it is very uncomfortable for the hamster, and the accessories are difficult to install, not to mention cleaning.

In addition to being of good quality material, the bottom piece should cover the entire surface. It can be made of wood or plastic, but the important thing is to avoid the metal bases since they produce oxide and risk transmitting tetanus to your pet, making it even risk life.

Materials

The materials of the hamster cages will also determine which model to buy. How they are processed is one of the essential aspects of top quality products that last over time. It is, therefore, better to pay more money at the beginning to avoid spending it later on repairs or new cages.

The best thing is that the grates are made of stainless steel because, in this way, the cage will last longer, and the hamster will be more protected.

As for the accessories, they should be made of wood (plastic breaks easily). It is also better to buy soft blankets, trying to avoid fabrics that can cause allergic reactions to the hamster.

Dimensions

The size of the cage must be appropriate to the size of the animal; we don’t want the rodent to get stuck in the metal grid. To put our pet at ease, you need to buy a good-sized cage that, in addition to this, also guarantees its well-being.

Of course, you don’t even have to abuse the size because a cage that is too large for a hamster that is too small is a waste of money.

You must try to balance the dimensions of the animal and the object: put yourself in its shoes, and you will be able to understand the proportion more easily. The most important thing is that the necessary accessories can be inserted into the cage.