It might seem that there is a bewildering array of hamster cages available on the market so how do you choose the right one for you and your pet?

Your choice will depend on the amount you have to spend and the available space you have to put your cage, but most importantly on the type of hamster you have, or are going to get, as Syrian hamsters are larger than dwarf hamsters and will therefore need a larger cage.

There are a number of distinct types of cage -- a wire mesh cage, usually with a plastic base, a plastic tube style, or an aquarium type.

All have advantages and disadvantages, and we will look at a few of theme here, considering the wire cage style first. The plastic base makes this the easiest type to clean as you can detach it to empty bedding, allowing the individual parts to be wiped down quite easily. This type also allows for good ventilation (although can be prone to draughts), and they are generally the largest type of hamster cage you can get.

The aquarium style generally consist of a glass bowl with a mesh lid; these can be quite large, but the ventilation can be poor, and these are probably the lease common.

The third type are the colorful plastic tube varieties that have interconnecting living elements joined by a number of tunnels and tubes for your hamster to explore and run through. These are usually sold as systems, enabling you to add features and make the cage larger if you need to. The number of different parts can make these harder and more time consuming to clean though.

For smaller hamsters, or hamsters kept as children's pets, this tube type is often the favored choice, but larger hamsters (and those owners who want to minimize the cleaning regime) should consider a more traditional wire mesh cage.

Learn more about selecting a hamster cage and the different hamster cages available.