No matter what type of hamster cage you choose for your pet, be it a wire cage, plastic cage or aquarium, there are a few items in the cage to keep your hamster happy and stress-free. Hamsters are particularly sensitive to stress, so it's important to do your best to keep them happy. Simple things like choosing the right bedding and nesting material, adding hamster wheels and a few toys will greatly improve your hamster's quality of life.
Bedding serves two purposes. It provides a good cushion for the hamster to step on and absorbs urine. Hamsters love to dig and dig, so make sure you have at least 2 inches of material at the bottom of your hamster cage. Wood shavings are the most common bedding material, but it is important to never use cedar shavings. Cedar shavings contain toxins that can make your hamster sick, so it's best to stay away from them. Pine shavings are possible, but some hamsters have been known to react negatively to this. Bedding made from aspen shavings or litter made from wood pulp are best. Also, stay away from scented products. They can smell lovely to you, but they can irritate your hamster's delicate nose.
You might think that plain cat litter is sufficient, but the dust from the litter can irritate the hamster's respiratory tract and cause small particles to get stuck in their paws and cause discomfort.
Hamsters spend most of their time sleeping, so they like soft surfaces. They make nests from available materials, even bedding, but prefer something softer. Torn paper towels or toilet paper are perfect if they are colorless and odorless.
You may be tempted to provide cotton wool to your hamster's nest, but this should be avoided under any circumstances. Cotton yarn can become tangled in the hamster's limbs or neck, blocking the hamster's blood supply. The nesting material is glued to the bedding material or shredded paper.
For hamster cages, exercise wheels are a must. Wild hamsters can travel up to 5 km at night to find prey, so you'll feel the urge to run, whether in a cage or out in the desert! Wireframe wheels with crossbars extending the length of the wheel are the most common hamster wheels. Missing stride length can be very dangerous for hamsters, as the legs can get caught between the wedges while the wheels are spinning and can break the legs. Hamster wheels with hard bottom and entry holes instead of spokes are your best bet. As a result, the risk of damage to the hamster is significantly reduced.
Feeding plates can be placed in the hamster cage, but it is not required. Hamsters love to find food, so distributing the food around the bedding in the cage is sufficient. In fact, if you put food on a food plate, you are much more likely to take it out and put it somewhere else! A water bottle for small animals should be sufficient as long as it has a ball bearing on the end of the spout and a screw on the top.
To extend your hamster's lifespan, consider adding more toys to the cage, such as cardboard tubes, tree gnawing, sandboxes, hamster houses, etc. It will be appreciated by your hamster!