Pair of dwarf hamsters in an ideal cage set-up:

• Roomy 16 gallon clear plastic tub.
• White unscented plain toilet paper for nesting material.
• A card board tube to play with and chew.
• Safe comfort running wheel for exercise (which will not harm toes or legs, since they cannot fall through the spokes like on a wire wheel)
• Hanging water bottle for a clean source of water
• Aspen bedding which contains no harmful oils

Housing

Care of dwarf hamsters is pretty straight forward. A single dwarf or pair can be kept in a 10 gallon aquarium fairly comfortably. You can purchase a locking top for little additional expense. Dwarf hamsters are not very good escape artists so a top may not be necessary. (Dwarf hamsters have hair on their feet which makes it very difficult for them to get a good grip to climb up cage walls or accessories). Despite their poor ability to escape, a top may still be beneficial as it can protect the hamsters from young children, other pets or something accidentally falling in the tank and injuring them.

My favorite dwarf home is not an aquarium but a 16 gallon rubbermaid box. These boxes are semi transparent and offer a nice amount of space for a pair of dwarfs and they are much lighter to pick up (which is wonderful if you have to clean many of them each week as I do). I do not put lids on most of mine. If you wanted to use the lid it would not be difficult to take soddering iron and melt many holes in the sides and top. These bins make very inexpensive cages but are better than some of the expensive petstore cages as they are more owner-friendly in regards to cleaning and allow a larger living space for the hamster(s). Habitrail type cages with small tubes (that do not go straight up--dwarf hamsters naviagate curvy tubes better as the hair on their feet can make it difficult for them to get up easily in vertical tubes) can also make a nice dwarf home but they may be more difficult to clean than an aquarium or plastic box.

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