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Question about bin size

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ggaabs19

Hey there! I brought up the topic of upgrading my hamster Edmond’s bin in another post, but started a new one because I didn’t want to get too far off the original topic. My hamster is a dwarf and he’s in a bin enclosure that measures 597sq inches. I’ll include a picture. I was hoping that upgrading his bin would help him be less cage territorial and stop biting.

Today I went to check out bins and the one I had in mind just looks so ginormous I had a moment of “is this really necessary for a dwarf?” It’s 854sq inches of floor space (H 17.875 in, W 21.5 in, D 39.75 in). It just seems so big and cumbersome. Alternatively, there was another bin that was 664sq inches (33” L x 20.125 W x 13.5 H). I’m more inclined to get the smaller bin but my husband thinks that’s not significant enough of an upgrade from what he has to make it worth moving Edmond. It is wider and deeper than his current bin.

What do you guys think? Would 67 extra square inches make a difference? Or should I just “go big or go home”?4EB9AD14-388B-4A98-8D9C-BF1A0E62DB5F.webp
 
I'm just trying to work the dimensions out :) But basically the bigger the better! If you can. Sometimes they look ginormous at first and then they don't look so big when you get used to them being there!

His current bin is not a bad size - maybe a bit narrow? And as you say an upgrade may help his behaviour (and I think it probably will as he'll have more to do and more space to be a hamster in).

The one you think is ginormous is basically the equivalent of a 100cm x 50cm cage sizewise (39.7" x 21.5") and that is an ideal size for all species of hamster. I have both a Syrian and a Robo in 100 x 50 cages (separate cages obviously). It's surprising how you fill them up as well. It would make a lovely cage for your hammy. I don't think the 664 square inch one is much of an upgrade really - the equivalent of about 85cm x 50cm.

So I'd go with the 800 square inch one. 800 square inches approximately is our recommended size (on the home page).

For that though you will need a lot more bedding. And maybe a platform adding at one end. A platform always helps as it gives them something to sit under and something to climb on - as well as their house (they do different things in a house to under a platform!). He'll have more floorspace for a deeper area of substrate maybe and for digging tunnels and doing other hamstery things. You may need to buy or make a few additional items to go in it to enrich it. Buying bedding in bulk means it doesn't work out expensive (but then you have to find somewhere to keep the bag of bedding!)
 
Thanks for your insight. I think I’m going to have to wait till payday to upgrade Edmond then 😅. But I sincerely want him to be happier.
 
I agree with the bigger the better. As long as a cage has enough bedding and enrichment I can not see how it will be too big. 🙂
 
I'm just trying to locate Edmond's thread to refresh my memory.

I don't think upgrading to the smaller of the two bins would make any difference so i'd also go for the bigger upgrade.

Does Edmond still bite when he is out of his cage? For hamsters to be territorial of their cages isn't unusual and not always caused by cage size. I've never even considered to put my hand inside Lilly's cage when she's in it because she's too much like Clarissa, a dwarf i had who was very territorial but fine out of her cage.
 
I have no idea how to link a thread but it was called “help me tame my dwarf hamster”. Edmond was only biting inside his enclosure, but since his setback he’s also been biting me outside too 😢 I’m just hoping by upgrading maybe it will make him happier all around.

This is kind of off-topic, but I saw a video on YouTube about aggressive hybrid dwarf hamsters. According to the girl who made the video there’s a trend in hybrids where they are super aggressive and basically no amount of taming or cage size won’t make a difference. I hope that’s not the case with Edmond since he had shown some serious progress. But I also, am trying to accept that this may just be his personality.
 
I would be wary of things like that on Youtube, I’ve been keeping Russians as well as Chinese for over ten years now all my Russians being hybrids & I have never seen anything I would call aggression.
One ham was territorial in her cage but that was all & I don’t call that aggressive it’s just natural protective behaviour & respecting that I had no problems with her biting me once I knew her boundaries.
Otherwise a bit of biting with new & very nervous hams but they all got over that.
A good size cage can make a big difference, give it time & patience, always try to think why they might be biting & it should be fine.
 
Sorry meant to add if he’s only been biting outside the cage since the set back then he probably just needs more time to settle again, he may need more time to settle yet again after moving to the larger cage, don’t worry, that’s normal but I’ve found if you do have a set back they do seem to come round quicker than if you were starting from scratch when you first get them, just takes some patience & a little time.
 
Agree with that. There is so much on Youtube - anyone can make a youtube video and say whatever they think. There are some good ones but there are some that are iffy. There is a bit of a myth that hybrid dwarf hamsters can be aggressive by nature but if you see Beryl's threads, she's had quite a few dwarf hamsters (and still does have) and their behaviour can change positively with environment.

For now it might be better to leave him for a few days in case he's got a bit stressed and then try again with the out of cage time and maybe wear gloves. It must be very frustrating for you. It can be a bit catch 22 though in that when we get a bit stressed about it - they do too.

The main reasons hamsters bite are fear and pain. If he doesn't seem to be in pain and is active in his cage and no signs of anything then it's more likely stress and fear. Environment can make a huge difference.

Also how do you get him out of the cage. If it's picking him up he may not like that. Will he walk into a tube with a treat in it, that's lowered in?

I find it impossible to get our robo out of his cage without a "taxi" and he is too fast for a tube I have a kind of pod that lives in his cage with a tube attached. Means there's only one tube end to cover and the distance from the pod is too far for him to run out before I put my hand over! Since using that, he goes in it when he wants to come out!
 
I haven't got as much knowledge as everyone else who has commented already so I can only say what Albert is like. There are places in Albert's cage that are off limit if he's up and about. They are his house/nest, sand bath and hang basket nest. If I go near these he'll charge and sometimes nip. So I'll wait until he's out of his cage to sort those bits. Albert has a mug for a taxi to come out of his cage but sometimes surprises me and jumps in to my hand to come out.
 
You all are so encouraging. Thanks for your help. I was supposed to switch back to the hamster taxi method but honestly I forgot. Thank you for reminding me. I’m probably going to cease free-roam time until I upgrade him just so it doesn’t stress him out. Edmond doesn’t seem like he’s in pain. He is super active and is running on his wheel constantly. So I think I can rule that out.
 
Maz said:
Agree with that. There is so much on Youtube - anyone can make a youtube video and say whatever they think. There are some good ones but there are some that are iffy. There is a bit of a myth that hybrid dwarf hamsters can be aggressive by nature but if you see Beryl's threads, she's had quite a few dwarf hamsters (and still does have) and their behaviour can change positively with environment.

For now it might be better to leave him for a few days in case he's got a bit stressed and then try again with the out of cage time and maybe wear gloves. It must be very frustrating for you. It can be a bit catch 22 though in that when we get a bit stressed about it - they do too.

The main reasons hamsters bite are fear and pain. If he doesn't seem to be in pain and is active in his cage and no signs of anything then it's more likely stress and fear. Environment can make a huge difference.

Also how do you get him out of the cage. If it's picking him up he may not like that. Will he walk into a tube with a treat in it, that's lowered in?

I find it impossible to get our robo out of his cage without a "taxi" and he is too fast for a tube I have a kind of pod that lives in his cage with a tube attached. Means there's only one tube end to cover and the distance from the pod is too far for him to run out before I put my hand over! Since using that, he goes in it when he wants to come out!
Click to expand...
The pod sounds neat! Do you have a link for the product or know where I can find something like that?
 
Yes it's actually meant to be part of a modular hamster cage (horrible idea!). But I was looking for something to get our robo out without stressing him. A tube wasn't enough because he's so fast I couldn't get my hands over the ends of the tube in time. I tried a hamster ball in the cage and he did go in it (treat inside) but again as soon as he saw my hand move he shot out again.

This is basically like a hamster ball with a flat bottom and a tube attached :) I left the middle section out and put some bedding in the pod and have all the exits capped off except the one on the end of the tube attached to the pod. I put the treat in the pod. He went in to investigate and explore ait and all I had to do was put my hand over the tube and lift the whole thing out. You do need to hold the pod as well as the tube or they could come unattached when carrying them.

The extra distance meant he wasn't too fast for my hand! He quite likes it as well. It's not a particularly attractive item in the cage but it does the job and he sometimes just goes in it for a rummage. He now knows it's a taxi so he has been known to go in it and look at me and I take that as a sign he wants to come out (which isn't very often!).

You can see it on this video - I put the "taxi" down in the playpen so he'd go back in it ready for me to take back to the cage.

I think it's less stressful for him because it lives in the cage all the time so smells familiar and isn't like he's having to be picked up or scooped up. They weren't cheap though - for a chunk of plastic!. But it worked for me as a solution for getting a robo out of a cage without stressing him.

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It's this tube


With this pod

 
Maz said:
Yes it's actually meant to be part of a modular hamster cage (horrible idea!). But I was looking for something to get our robo out without stressing him. A tube wasn't enough because he's so fast I couldn't get my hands over the ends of the tube in time. I tried a hamster ball in the cage and he did go in it (treat inside) but again as soon as he saw my hand move he shot out again.

This is basically like a hamster ball with a flat bottom and a tube attached :) I left the middle section out and put some bedding in the pod and have all the exits capped off except the one on the end of the tube attached to the pod. I put the treat in the pod. He went in to investigate and explore ait and all I had to do was put my hand over the tube and lift the whole thing out. You do need to hold the pod as well as the tube or they could come unattached when carrying them.

The extra distance meant he wasn't too fast for my hand! He quite likes it as well. It's not a particularly attractive item in the cage but it does the job and he sometimes just goes in it for a rummage. He now knows it's a taxi so he has been known to go in it and look at me and I take that as a sign he wants to come out (which isn't very often!).

You can see it on this video - I put the "taxi" down in the playpen so he'd go back in it ready for me to take back to the cage.

I think it's less stressful for him because it lives in the cage all the time so smells familiar and isn't like he's having to be picked up or scooped up. They weren't cheap though - for a chunk of plastic!. But it worked for me as a solution for getting a robo out of a cage without stressing him.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

It's this tube


With this pod

Click to expand...
sorry for the late response. Thank you for those links! Pip is adorable! 😍
 
Having said all that, I got him out the other day a different way! Because he was already out in the cage I just held a "snooze cube" in front of him - he was curious and climbed into it, so then I just had to pop my hand over the front and carry him to the playpen.

This is a snooze cube. It's a rat lady in the Uk that makes hamster sized ones but similar things are available. It's a fleece cube/hide basically - they like the cosy fleece and that it's dark inside so if the hamster is already out and about, lowering something like this for them to walk into maybe ok - and a russian dwarf is maybe less superfast than a robo so the pod and tube idea might not be necessary.

www.fuzzbutt.co.uk

"Homer" mini Snooze Cube - CUSTOM ORDER

Homer Snoozes are now custom orders with turnover in about a week. Choose your favourite fleece or fabric from what you see on the website, or just ask me to do you a girly or manly cube and I'll choose.For the mini-Fuzz in your life - eepers, hammies, degu, gerbils, meeses, Suggies - a smaller...
www.fuzzbutt.co.uk www.fuzzbutt.co.uk

Amazon has similar things. These kind of things aren't safe to leave inside the cage permanently as hamsters can chew at them and they can contain wadding that isn't safe to swallow, or threads can get wrapped around legs etc if chewed. But they are perfectly fine for a taxi or for out of cage time with observation.

 
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