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Hides for hamsters8/2/2023 ![]() It can expand and cause blockages in dogs. Most people don't even give rawhide to their dogs anymore unless it's compressed. I've known people to give rawhide to their dogs for years and years with no problems, but I've also heard a ton of horror stories so I wouldn't risk it with my own pets. The wheel must be large enough for the hamster to run on it without arching its spine.Ĭhews to allow gnawing behaviours, as a hamster’s incisors are constantly erupting and benefit from wear.Kyrilliondaemon - rawhide is an ingredient itself, and I would stay away from ANYTHING that contains it a far as consumables go. Hamsters in the wild will cover very large distances at night whilst they forage for food. Scatter feeding rather than just putting food into a bowl encourages the hamster to forage for its food as it would in the wild.Ī wheel for exercise is important to allow the hamster to keep fit and active. Food and treats can be hidden within the bedding to encourage digging. Facilitating this natural behaviour is very important to keep your hamster happy and stimulated. Hamsters are a burrowing species, so ideally the cage design should allow a deep (25+cm) bedding layer (not too fluffy, or they can become trapped). ![]() If there is a large area of floor space these toys or enrichment items can be moved about periodically to change the environment.Īside from ensuring that your hamster has the largest available space what can be done to allow natural behaviours?Įnrichment is a very important way of allowing the hamster to behave in normal ways and provide stimulation. The larger the cage the more enrichment or items of interest which can be added. It is preferable to have a bigger single level cage or one low platform level, rather than the commonly found 3 or 4 level tall cages with a small base size. This is because hamsters have poor eyesight and can get injured when falling from high platforms or levels. Many cages available for sale are very small, and this restricts how much enrichment can be added.ĭespite the popular perception, hamsters as a rule benefit from more floor space rather than a tall multi-tiered cage. ![]() However following the recommendation to buy a cage that is as large as possible is sensible. There is limited evidence to guide how much space a hamster really needs. However, the recommendation of continuous floor space rather than being composed of compartments appears to mostly be anecdotal, rather than based on research. When considering floor space, this is usually measured as continuous, meaning that ledges, or compartment capsule type cages do not provide large continuous floor space. ![]() Many cages readily available in pet shops and online are significantly smaller than 100 x 50cm, though it is now increasingly possible to get larger enclosures. We recommend an enclosure size of at least 100 x 50 x 50cm for all species of hamster However, while the the RSPCA have moved away from an official size recommendation due to lack of evidence, stating only the cage should be as large as possible, while the PDSA and Blue Cross have adopted the newer Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare guidelines of 100 x 50cm, and 50cm high (to allow for lots of digging space – ideally 25cm or more of substrate!). For some time, there has been a commonly quoted size of 80cm x 50cm minimum cage dimension (length and width) for a Syrian hamster and 70cm x 40cm for a dwarf hamster.
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