HammyWorld - Products, Cages

If you want to discuss a topic without ever coming to an end, ask a few hamster-lovers about what sort of cage is the "right" one - this discussion will probably end in a serious word- (or fist-) fight ! You can only hope, that none of the fighters knows anything about karate... grin.

Serious, in this department, there are at least as many opinions as types of cages available. You should know, that there are a few basic types of cages available: full-plastic-cages (like habitrail etc.), wire-cages (with plastic bottoms as provided by Ferplast), tanks/aquariums (made of plastic or glass) and cricetariums.

You´ll find a description of each type below. In my opinion, the best would be a cricetarium - but this type of cage (well, this is not only a cage, it´s a "biosphere", if made correct) is much too expensive for normal people (i wish i had the money to provide each of my hamsters a cricetarium).

Like mentioned above, the "cage-question" is a question of different opinions. Here´s mine (smile). The "worse"-case is the first, the best (IMO, in my opinion) is the last one. Please have in mind, that i´m keeping syrian golden hamsters ! For dwarfs or european Hamsters please follow the links at the "species"-section !

Let´s start with the ultimate torture prison for hamsters.

It´s not only made of plastic, it is round! If you want your hamster to get mad, put him in anything round, so he will lose his orientation very soon. The manufacturer and a few others are complaining, that this cage has been made like burrows hamsters in nature are living in. But no hamster-burrow is round like a circle and smelling equal at any place.

This "thing" is absolute inadequate and should be thrown into oblivion of history as soon as possible.

Hamster-starter-kits...well, if i were a hamster, i would file a suit against the manufacturer and all people, who are torturing their hamsters with this kind of "cage".

This "circus" is much too small, the bottom is not high enough to provide enough bedding to dig and IT IS ROUND ! Round and small cages should be avoided in general.

Like the "thing" above, this one is also absolute inadequate.

Habitrail - It´s looking like a "SpaceStation" made by kids to play with their MatchBox-toys. This cage is absolute inadequate ! It´s looking nice - if you´re not the hamster who has been sentenced to live in there, it´s a toy for kids. But hamsters aren´t toys !!! Please see DangerZone, PlasticCages for a detailed description.
This tubes can be used as toys inside the cage; even if you connect a few of them. But you should never use them on the outside.

On first sight, this "cage" is really looking neat, with a clear sight on what the hamster is doing.

Well, let´s have a closer look:

Two plastic-tanks, not really wide, but high, did the owner ever thought about VENTILATION ?
Two wheels - nice try, but both are wire-wheels with rungs and without cardboard securing the rungs (see DangerZone, WireWheels), and the wheel in the left tank is much too small for that hamster.
Two houses - well, both are plastic-houses (see DangerZone, PlasticHouses and Products, Houses for my point of view concerning houses for hamsters)
Both tanks are connected with plastic-tubes. Well, i really hope, they´ll never come apart...but i know, that the hamster will not have any problems getting them lose
last but not least, for proper digging, there´s not enough bedding on the ground. Recommended is 5-7cm / 2-3" !

FerPlast Galaxy - a big plastic-cage with a wire sky. The best sort of cage for dwarfs (if you remove the wire floor!), esp. if you want to breed them. There´s enough ventilation and the cage is wide enough to supply many toys and for them to run around. Like always, replace the plastic-house with a wooden one, remove the wire floor and for syrians, replace the wheel.

FerPlast Criceti - a small plastic-bottom/wire-top cage. I use them only to keep my young syrians during weaning. For a normal full-grown syrian, this cage is too small. Not to mention - like always - the plastic-house and the standard plastic-wheel with rungs. But today FerPlast is delivering this sort of cage with bigger houses (with 3 more wholes for ventilation) and a solid-floor standard wheel.

FerPlast - a plastic-bottom/wire-top cage. The cage on the picture is full decorated with lots of toys - all what a hamster needs. It´s a good cage for a syrian or a pair of dwarfs.

The RollsRoyce of wire-top cages for syrian hamsters (nothing to keep dwarfs!).

(c) Kay Michaelsen 2002


	Let´s start with the ultimate torture prison for hamsters. It´s not only made of plastic, it is round! If you want your hamster to get mad, put him in anything round, so he will lose his orientation very soon. The manufacturer and a few others are complaining, that this cage has been made like burrows hamsters in nature are living in. But no hamster-burrow is round like a circle and smelling equal at any place. This "thing" is absolute inadequate and should be thrown into oblivion of history as soon as possible.
Hamster-starter-kits...well, if i were a hamster, i would file a suit against the manufacturer and all people, who are torturing their hamsters with this kind of "cage". This "circus" is much too small, the bottom is not high enough to provide enough bedding to dig and IT IS ROUND ! Round and small cages should be avoided in general. Like the "thing" above, this one is also absolute inadequate.
	Habitrail - It´s looking like a "SpaceStation" made by kids to play with their MatchBox-toys. This cage is absolute inadequate ! It´s looking nice - if you´re not the hamster who has been sentenced to live in there, it´s a toy for kids. But hamsters aren´t toys !!! Please see DangerZone, PlasticCages for a detailed description. This tubes can be used as toys inside the cage; even if you connect a few of them. But you should never use them on the outside.
On first sight, this "cage" is really looking neat, with a clear sight on what the hamster is doing. Well, let´s have a closer look: Two plastic-tanks, not really wide, but high, did the owner ever thought about VENTILATION ? Two wheels - nice try, but both are wire-wheels with rungs and without cardboard securing the rungs (see DangerZone, WireWheels), and the wheel in the left tank is much too small for that hamster. Two houses - well, both are plastic-houses (see DangerZone, PlasticHouses and Products, Houses for my point of view concerning houses for hamsters) Both tanks are connected with plastic-tubes. Well, i really hope, they´ll never come apart...but i know, that the hamster will not have any problems getting them lose last but not least, for proper digging, there´s not enough bedding on the ground. Recommended is 5-7cm / 2-3" !
	FerPlast Galaxy - a big plastic-cage with a wire sky. The best sort of cage for dwarfs (if you remove the wire floor!), esp. if you want to breed them. There´s enough ventilation and the cage is wide enough to supply many toys and for them to run around. Like always, replace the plastic-house with a wooden one, remove the wire floor and for syrians, replace the wheel.
FerPlast Criceti - a small plastic-bottom/wire-top cage. I use them only to keep my young syrians during weaning. For a normal full-grown syrian, this cage is too small. Not to mention - like always - the plastic-house and the standard plastic-wheel with rungs. But today FerPlast is delivering this sort of cage with bigger houses (with 3 more wholes for ventilation) and a solid-floor standard wheel.
	FerPlast - a plastic-bottom/wire-top cage. The cage on the picture is full decorated with lots of toys - all what a hamster needs. It´s a good cage for a syrian or a pair of dwarfs.
The RollsRoyce of wire-top cages for syrian hamsters (nothing to keep dwarfs!).