A thread on how hamsters are commonly abused and mistreated:

First of all, their enclosures.
Hamsters need a MINIMUM space of 450 square inches of floor space (OHC & CHA), but the more the better. That size is about floor space, an enclosure with multiple levels does not add to the size, the base floor is what needs to be measured.

The hamster cages also need a minimum of 6 inches of bedding. Hamsters are burrowers and they require at least 6 inches of bedding to be able to burrow, the more the better.

The cages you’ll find at most pet stores are not suitable. I’m sure everyone’s seen the small but bright and colourful cages in pet stores. Not only do they not provide the depth of 6 inches of substrate, they also have nowhere near 450 square inches of floor space.

They also tend to come with their own wheel on the inside and I will talk about wheels and other accessories for hamsters later in the thread but these wheels are never big enough.

If you’re going to buy a cage please make sure it meets the minimum of 450 sq inch floor space and if it’s a cage, make sure there is room for at least 6 inches of substrate in the base.

You can make your own enclosures at home using plastic storage boxes or even by using a large glass fish tank. These can be very cheap options, especially the storage containers. Pet store enclosures typically barely hit 200 sq inches, they are not suitable.

These are allowed because hamsters are not cared about, they don’t have the laws to protect them like there are for animals such as dogs. They are seen as toys which is also usually why the store bought cages are filled with bright colours, they are targeted at children.

The smaller the cage, the more likely it is for someone to buy a hamster, their cage and toys. The enclosures hamsters require is a lot of space and a lot of people don’t want to use up that space when they don’t see a hamster as a living being, they are seen as a toy to most.

Pet stores are obviously going to put profit over an animals well being, they will happily sell those small cages and give advice to customers that may go against the well being of an animal, but brings them profit.

Some small cages advertise connecting them together with other cages, this does not increase the minimum floor space I talked about earlier. Three cages that have 150 sq inch of floor space does not make a 450 sq inch enclosure.

Multiple levels also do not add to that floor space. Another level can be great for enrichment, giving them space for things to interact with or for food bowls and sand baths but that extra floor does not add to the minimum sq inch requirement.

Some behaviour traits that can come from these cruel cages have been normalised and so many people don’t see an issue with them, they think their boredom behaviours are cute.

Bar biting is not normal chewing behaviour. Hamsters will naturally chew on wood or other suitable chew toys. A hamster that chews on the metal bars of a cage can lead to health problems such as misaligned teeth and sores around their mouth / nose.

Cage aggression can also develop when a cage is too small, this is when a hamster will instantly charge at your hand trying to bite you. They will not let you do anything within their enclosure.

Cage pacing (more common in glass / plastic enclosures) is when the hamster will run back and forward against the walls of the enclosure trying to find a way out. They will typically also jump against the wall of the enclosure trying to get outside due to boredom.

Wall scaling / monkey barring is very common in wire cages. This is when a hamster climbs up the side of the cage and can also sometimes monkey bar across the roof of the cage trying to find a way out. This can be very dangerous for hamsters as they will always fall.

Lethargy is when a hamster will stop doing a lot of anything, usually due to a lack of enrichment. This is not the hamster being lazy, they have ran out of things to do except for running on a wheel. This is why large enclosures are needed, it can provide more enrichment.

Speaking of enrichment, there are many hamster wheels that are not suitable for any hamsters, lots of them coming with the small cages. A dwarf hamster should have a 6 inch wheel at a minimum. The hamster’s back should not curve while they are running on the wheel.

Larger hamsters such as Syrians require around 8-12 inches. A curved back while running can lead to health problems. A wheel can’t be too big unless the hamster is unable to make it move which is unlikely.

The wheels can also not be suitable depending on their material. A wheel should not have any holes in where the hamster will run, their foot could get caught which leads to injuries. Mesh wheels are completely unsuitable and can lead to health problems such as bumble foot.

Hamster balls are completely unsuitable no matter what their size is. A hamster should never be put inside a ball for a number of reasons.

Firstly, hamsters can not see very far in front of them and from within the inside of the ball, their vision is even worse. Hamsters rely on their whiskers and sense of smell to navigate, both are made useless from within a ball.

Hamster balls will always have ventilation holes and while it is good to have ventilation, their feet can get stuck within the holes while running which can obviously lead to injuries. Hamsters cannot properly control their movement due to the momentum they generate.

They will typically crash into a wall without knowing as they cannot see, this will obviously cause injuries. Hamsters begin running in the ball out of stress and they cannot then stop due to the momentum, them running does not mean they enjoy being within the ball.

Hamsters should also never be bathed in water unless advised by a vet. Hamsters clean themselves to maintain their fur. Avoid any dust or powder as they are too fine and can cause respiratory problems.

Use children’s play sand, reptile sand or any other bathing sand suitable for hamsters. If you use children’s play sand, check it is heat treated. If it is not heat treated then you will need to bake it in an oven at 350°f for about 20 minutes to remove any bacteria.

Reptile sand should be all natural, make sure it is not dyed and that it does not contain any minerals or calcium added as it can cause impaction which is a bowel obstruction. Thank you @badlifecutie for bringing this up! https://twitter.com/badlifecutie/status/1333864142982184961

Hamsters are not social creatures and there is no need for them to stay in groups in captivity. In the wild, hamsters will only group together in colonies for safety and reproduction which is obviously not needed when we look after them.

In captivity, the hamsters are forced to be together without the freedom to leave. The hamsters will become very territorial over everything in their cage, especially if it’s a small cage or is only 450sq inch which is not enough room for 2 hamsters.

No one should recommend keeping them together, it is much better to have a second enclosure if you want to look after two hamsters. Thank you @xLethenerix for bringing this one up! https://twitter.com/xLethenerix/status/1333495007349788675