One Voice for Animals UK Guest Blog by Hamster Welfare
Hamster Welfare completed a blog for us in 2021 talking about the issues of small cages and incorrect wheel sizes for hamsters. We invited them back to tell us what happened next
Background
Pet Shops rarely sell cages that meet the bare minimum size requirement. The UK Minimum of 80 cm x 50 cm stated by The RSPCA or further respected advice from The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare (TVT) which says 100cm x 50cm for ALL species of hamsters.
Over the past year we have seen some positive developments for hamster cage sizes. Three major organisations - Blue Cross, PDSA and Woodgreen updated their hamster care guides during 2023 and they recommend that ALL species of hamsters should be housed in a cage which is at least 100cm x 50cm, as does Small Pet Rodent Awareness Week.
The RSPCA, however, does not advise a minimum cage size but we have noticed that they ask keepers to house hamsters in a 100cm minimum cage on their adoption pages.
We have seen some very positive developments with what cages are now offered at Pets at Home. In May 2024 they did a complete overhaul of their hamster cages, where they removed tiny cages and now offer far bigger cages up to 120cm in size! This was very well received by the hamster community, however we would like them to remove some cages that they offer which are below 100cm, i.e 70cm etc.
The sale of small cages is probably the number one issue that concerns the hamster loving community and the injustices hamsters face are obvious to see for anyone walking into a pet store.
The cages are clearly too small for a creature to not feel trapped and it is common practice to see tiny cages that have a dual purpose to look like toys and are targeted at children. However, the community and TVT say that hamsters are not a good child's pet as they are only active at night, when children are asleep.
Small Cages go against the Animal Welfare Act for the following reasons:
They can't fit an adequate sized wheel (at least 28 cm for a Syrian). Small wheels have been proven to cause injury and pain to a hamster's back.
Research has shown that small cages cause more bar biting and bar climbing, and that this may be an attempt to escape the small surroundings. Bar biting and bar climbing can cause serious injury.
A Tank is preferred rather than a cage. It is important for a hamster to burrow and the shallow base of a cage and the gaps in the wire bars does not allow the owner to provide enough bedding depth (Giving your hamster the ability to burrow has also been proven to prevent bar biting and bar climbing).
Also with a glass tank, having No bars means No bar biting and bar climbing.
The Royal Veterinary College say: “Hamsters should be housed in a large glass or plastic tank with good ventilation”
The Hamster Cage Page on HamsterWelfare recommends 28 Cages and Tanks that are at least 100cm x 50cm. This resource will continue to be updated when more large hamster cages are available online. Unfortunately, pet stores rarely stock any of these large cages/tanks.
Pet stores often claim that the small cages they sell are starter cages for young hamsters (This is an unacceptable and unrealistic excuse). In reality, the small cage would never be upgraded and pet shops are damning that hamster to a miserable life. Small cages are not advertised as starter cages and most customers are unaware that the cage should be upgraded, so pet shops should never assume that this will ever happen, particularly as larger cages are not sold in stores.
Hamster Wheels
During 2023 Blue Cross improved their care guide and they provided some very helpful guidance for what wheel size is suitable for each species of hamster, they are effectively the first major organisation to give such specific guidance regarding the wheel size issue. The sizes are:
Syrian: 27-32 cm
Campbell’s dwarf: 22-25 cm
Winter white: 22-25 cm
Roborovski: 20-22 cm
Chinese dwarf: 25-27 cm
For more information on hamster care go to https://www.hamsterwelfare.com/
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