Hamsters or. Gerbils Part 2 - The Cage

btw, For all those who are looking for information about gerbil habitat, I check the article and pics here:

Here is my most recent documentation on aquarium settings for their habitat.

The next step in my hamsters vs. gerbils choice was the selection of a proper cage. There are tons of cages on the market, so I set on a journey of choosing just one. Here’s a check list of things to look for and consider:

1. Size - The size of the critter should determine the cage. Unless we are talking about dwarf hamsters, their mature size will be around 3 – 4“ without the tail. Make sure they have room to move around, to play, to hide, to burrow, etc. If you get a cage with bars, make sure they can’t escape.

2. Equipment –

Wheel - Definitely, get a wheel. This is their “treadmill”. They love it and engage in their exercise for hours. In the case of hamsters, this goes on all night long. I read that hamsters do close to four miles per night. Get the quietest wheel you can. The wheel can be hooked to the wall of the cage or stand alone.

Tunnels – Just like children in a playground, gerbils and hamsters love to climb, slide, and run through tunnels. Pet stores are filled with plastic tunnels of all colors and you can build and add more later. My preference was tunnels made from sturdy cardboard. It serves several functions: the actual tunnel to run through, they can hide in the darkness, and they can chew on the tunnel. Cardboard is closer to nature than pink plastic see through tunnel.

Sleeping quarters – In nature, they sleep in small caves which protect them and they feel secure. Make sure you provide them with a place to sleep. Pet shops have ready made “igloos” or something where they go get comfy and sleep.

Water – of course. Get a bottle of water. You can also put a little drinking well, but it can get messy. Besides, these critters have been bred for pet stores, bottled water is all they know. Is this where we got the idea that we need to drink bottled water?

Food – of course. Any pet store has food and supplements for your critters. You can also give them slivers of fresh veggies and fruits. They love it.

Bedding – of course. The cage needs to have bedding on its floor. They burrow in it, move it around, hide inside, play with it. The bedding can be straw, wood shavings, paper, or other store bought bedding. This needs to be changed once a week.

3. The cage – There are numerous cages to choose from. Although the colorful cages with all the tunnels in different shades look interesting, the gerbils don’t give a rat’s ass about the color of the plastic. The most important thing is that they are safe, roomy, and easy to clean. Keeping it clean will ensure that it is not smelly.

I ended up getting two cages. This is the first one. After I set it up I thought it will be too small within a short time. This cage is about 30% smaller than the aquarium.

So I ran back to the store and got a roomy aquarium with a serrated lid for air. This too may become too small.

Update to the story of Miss Ruth and Miss Naomi

Update: I found the perfect cage/aquarium!