What kind of cage for a Syrian (teddy bear) hamster?

Question

I am considering getting a Syrian hamster and was wanting to know if anyone knows the best kind of cage to get? This is the one I was thinking about :

http://www.petco.com/product/15483/Super-Pet-CritterTrail-Z.aspx

I read that the tubes for this kind of cage are generally too small for a Syrian. I also read that the most popular plastic cages are not good for them either, as they are usually not big enough. I also saw that the wheels included in these types of cages are too small. Does anyone have a Syrian hamster in a plastic cage with all the tubes like the one pictured? If so, does the hamster fit through the tubes and have enough room in the cage? Did you put a different wheel in?

Answer 1

My sister had a Syrian Teddy Bear hamster with the EXACT same cage and her hamster fit well in there with plenty of space to more around freely.

Answer 2

I have had both, they need 3-5 platforms/floors, about 5 or more tunnels, a wheel, a sleeping den and ALOT of bedding to dig in.

Answer 3

I  have also read that the tubes are too small for a syrian , and plastic cages are hard to clean , and break easily. I have a syrian hamster and this cage works good for me:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

Answer 4

That cage is good but if it gets to fat it might not go through try a crittertrail 2 or 3.

Good luck!

Answer 5

i sugest a 10 gallon aquarium

Answer 6

mine hase a 10 gallon fish tank and she luvs it

Answer 7

hamster can squeeze through hole easily.even if the hamster look very fat but if the head of the hamster are able to go through the tubes,mostly possible it body can go through too

Answer 8

you should definitely get that cage ior one like it and then maybe another one and attach them. My hamsters have 4 crittertrail cages attached, they love them,especially their crittertrail revolution.

Answer 9

the pet store where i got my pet had extra large cages wit three floors and instead of tubes it had ladders which most hamsters like

make sure the have a wheel plenty food and waterand are held regularley

and i f you have anymore questions just ask [e-mail]

Answer 10

a good cage would be a plastic one because they don't stink! : )

Answer 11

When you buy a syrian hamster, it would be only a month or two old and will be of small size. However it will grow a little bit bigger in the next two months. So the one you are thinking of - Crittertrail Z - would be too small for it. Hamsters love space in their cages for their burrowing apart from tubes and tunnels, so a bigger sized cage like Crittertrail 1 or 2 would be better for Syrians. When I had a Syrian, I had a Habitrail Playground and I found it the right size for them to move around. I added a lot of tubes and mazes around the cage which Habitrail provides as accessories for additional cost for the Syrian to play around.

The tubes in a standard crittertrail cage are ok for syrians since they can move around small tubes too by squeezing their bodies. The idea is to mimic what happens in nature when wild hamsters burrow and go through small holes and tunnels.

I am against plastic cages since they are hard to clean, boxy and does not have good ventilation like barred cages. Also plastic cages if not cleaned regularly are prone to condensation inside leading to fungal growth.

You will have to ensure that you get a medium - big sized wheel for the hamster. The wheel should be moulded plastic type without any gaps or wires. The ones with wires are available at pet shops but they can damage the hamster's feet if the feet get stuck in between the wires.

Crittertrails are not full plastic cages, they are barred cages and are ideal since they allow good ventilation and are ideal to clean. My friends use Crittertrail 1 & 2 and have no complaints against them. However they refrained from buying Crittertrail Z since it was too small and did not have a proper exercise wheel.

Answer 12

This is a good starter cage.  When you have more mioney it would be good to buy another from this range to join on to it with the tubes to give the hamster more space.  The tubes are not too small for a syrian hamster.  No matter how fat they look they can squeeze through tiny gaps, as long as their head fits they can fit!  If they weren't such a tight fit they couldn't climb the vertical tubes.