Furnishing Your Hamster’s Home

Once you’ve got your cage, it’s time to put all those hours you’ve spent watching HGTV interior decorating shows to good use.

Researchers have found that hamsters who live in more comfortable, enriching environments actually are more likely to have an optimistic outlook in life.

Makes sense, right?

You’d probably feel pretty positive about your life too if you had a home full of awesome stuff.

So if you want your hamster to go through life seeing the water bottle half-full, there are a few things you’ll need to help him feel right at home…

Bedding

When you’re looking for hamster bedding, softer is better. Plenty of hamster owners swear by recycled paper beddings like Carefresh, whereas others stick with plain old aspen shavings, which are a bit cheaper.

If you’re really in a pinch, plain shredded paper (not newspaper!) also works just fine as a temporary bedding, with one big downside: it gets a lot smellier…a lot faster.

Trust us on this.

If you want to change things up a little, try mixing different beddings together. Most hamsters will pick a particular corner of their cage as the designated restroom, so you can try putting more absorbent bedding in that corner.

And here’s a bedding-related tip: Although cotton fluff is sold as “nesting material” for hamsters, it’s actually very dangerous for them. They can easily get their legs tangled up and injured. If you want to give your hamster some soft and safe nesting material, all you have to do is shred up some plain, unscented tissues.

Just remember: never buy cedar or pine shavings for your hamster or any other small animal. The aromatic oils in these beddings are dangerous for tiny fluffy creatures and can cause respiratory issues.

For the same reason, stay away from scented beddings. The best way to keep your hamster’s cage smelling clean is to…

Wait for it…

Clean it regularly.

Yeah, we know. Responsibility stinks.

But not as much as a dirty hamster cage.

Wheels

via GIPHY

A good wheel isn’t just a fun accessory.

It’s absolutely necessary for your hamster’s health — and for your sanity. Hamsters can run over five miles a night on their wheels, and if they don’t get that energy out running, they’ll find other ways.

Like hatching an escape plan, for example.

Or rattling their cage bars at midnight when you’ve got to be up at six in the morning.

So if you want your hamster to be fit and happy and not escaping into the air ducts, you’re going to want to invest in a good wheel.

What makes a good wheel?

Well, there are three main things you need to consider when you’re wheel-shopping: size, material, and noise level.

That last one’s especially important if your hamster lives in your bedroom. These guys can and will run all night long, and if the wheel’s squeaking or thumping against the floor of the cage while you’re trying to get your beauty sleep, then you’re going to be cursing the name of your poor hamster.

As for the material of the wheel, there are a lot of wire wheels out there in pet stores, but they’re actually not so great for tiny hamster feet (or even stubby hamster tails). Those little paws can easily get caught in metal rungs or irritated by wire mesh, so we’d suggest steering clear of anything metal.

Instead, look for sturdy, solid plastic or wooden wheels, and make sure they’re big enough that your hamster isn’t rounding his back when he runs. He should be able to run at full speed without hunching at all, just like he would run across the ground in the wild.

For Syrian hamsters, that means a wheel that’s at least 8 inches in diameter, and for dwarf hamsters, around 6.5 inches will do.

Lots of cages have “built-in” wheels, but very few of them are actually big enough for a fully grown Syrian hamster.

Toys

Toys don’t just make your hamster’s cage look cool — they provide super important stimulation for your furry friend so that he’s not rattling the bars of his cage or generally being a fluffy force of destruction.

There are lots of adorable hamster toys you can buy, from plastic playgrounds to wooden castles, to make life more interesting for your hammie.

You can also go the DIY route, turning toilet paper rolls and tissue boxes into hamster adventure zones.

No matter which way you go, make sure the toys are non-toxic and safe to chew because hamsters will get their chompers into just about anything.

Hideouts

Hamsters are nocturnal, so during the day, they appreciate a nice, cozy hideout where they can get their beauty rest!

You can find wooden chew-friendly hideouts, cute plastic igloos, and even natural looking “tree stumps” like this one.

Or you can use an old cardboard box, really. It just has to be something chew-safe and cozy for them to burrow underneath.