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This post is mainly regarding the two welfare guides published by the Blue Cross and PDSA in the Uk. While these are a very welcome improvement to standards of hamster care, educating newcomers into starting out right, as with any good thing that comes along, there can be situations where people feel worried or pressured. Apparently in some areas of social media, people are being pressured to upgrade immediately to meet all these standards. So thought a post was relevant to help clarify things, and from this forum's point of view.
Consider the stability of the hamster
If you currently have a hamster in a cage that it is at least 80cm x 50cm with about 6" of bedding, and your hamster is settled and happy with no troubling behaviours, then there is no need to suddenly upgrade them. Unless of course it's something you were thinking of doing anyway. Change can be stressful for hamsters too. Upgrading cages can be done in a way to avoid stress but it depends on the hamster as to whether it's a good idea. An older hamster may be better left in their current cage and avoid the change, providing that cage is at least 80cm by 50cm and they enjoy out of cage time and interaction with you. A new hamster needs at least 2 to 3 weeks in a cage, ideally longer than that, if they're still a baby - before contemplating upgrading it.
Achieving deeper bedding and when it may or may not be necessary
If you currently have a hamster in a 100cm or larger cage, but don't have 20cm of bedding or can't achieve that for various reasons, then again, as long as the hamster is already settled and happy, there is no need to stress about trying to achieve it as long as you have at least 6" of bedding. A digging box or deeper area of bedding in part of the cage is an added enrichment as well. Unless of course you had been planning to upgrade already.
If you have a hamster with medical issues or neurological or mobility issues, then the amount of bedding you have should suit the hamster's specific medical needs, regardless of any guidelines. So for example, a hamster with mobility issues may not be able to walk well with deeper bedding or need a flatter surface like hemp mat over a layer of bedding. A hamster who is unwell and weak may struggle to get in and out of deep bedding and feel more secure being able to manage with a few inches of bedding and not have to struggle to dig themselves out if they dig down.
Timing
There is no sudden rush to go out and upgrade - unless you were planning to do so and it can be more important to time any possible changes, to suit the individual hamster's circumstances. A hamster that is old or unwell would benefit from avoiding upheaval and change maybe more than any benefit of a larger environment with deeper bedding. Providing they are already in a cage that's at least 80cm by 50cm.
However an older hamster that is in a cage that is too small, will still benefit from a cage upgrade to be able to have plenty of space at floor level when they can't climb any more or climbing is too risky.
People also sometimes need time to save up for things or to plan them around other things going on in life (eg a house move). So any upgrade should really be planned preparation, rather than a sudden rush to change everything.
So basically - there should be no pressure to do something immediately, but to weigh up the situation, depending on the hamster involved and prepare and plan carefully.
If you do plan to upgrade
Another reason not to immediately rush to upgrade is - to research the right cage carefully - if you do want to upgrade. Some cages might be the right size, but height needs looking at, depending on whether it is a dwarf or Syrian hamster. Some of the lower 100cm cages would accommodate deeper bedding at one end but not a Syrian sized wheel as well as 6" of bedding in the rest of the cage. But they might accommodate a 20cm wheel for a dwarf hamster quite easily. Changing from a cage to a tank style when a hamster is used to a cage, could take some adjustment. So it all needs to be considered carefully to avoid stress for the hamster - even though a cage upgrade is for their benefit - there needs to be a balance.
Also you might decide to make a cage, and that can take time to be done properly and safely.
When you do need to upgrade
If the hamster is in a cage smaller than 80cm by 50cm (eg Hamster Heaven size) then the cage does need upgrading, and when doing so, it would be best to meet the guidelines of approximately 100cm by 50cm or bigger.
So basically - nothing has changed in particular. 100cm or larger cages and deeper bedding for hamsters is something that has been widely known for quite a long time and many people are doing this already, and the forum guidelines already recommended these things also.
Edit - this post and the replies were originally posted in April 2023 - updated in July 2023
Update January 2024. Three out of four of the main animal welfare charities now recommend 100cm x 50cm cages for all species of hamster. Wood Green recently updated their guidance from 80 x 50 to 100 x 50.
Consider the stability of the hamster
If you currently have a hamster in a cage that it is at least 80cm x 50cm with about 6" of bedding, and your hamster is settled and happy with no troubling behaviours, then there is no need to suddenly upgrade them. Unless of course it's something you were thinking of doing anyway. Change can be stressful for hamsters too. Upgrading cages can be done in a way to avoid stress but it depends on the hamster as to whether it's a good idea. An older hamster may be better left in their current cage and avoid the change, providing that cage is at least 80cm by 50cm and they enjoy out of cage time and interaction with you. A new hamster needs at least 2 to 3 weeks in a cage, ideally longer than that, if they're still a baby - before contemplating upgrading it.
Achieving deeper bedding and when it may or may not be necessary
If you currently have a hamster in a 100cm or larger cage, but don't have 20cm of bedding or can't achieve that for various reasons, then again, as long as the hamster is already settled and happy, there is no need to stress about trying to achieve it as long as you have at least 6" of bedding. A digging box or deeper area of bedding in part of the cage is an added enrichment as well. Unless of course you had been planning to upgrade already.
If you have a hamster with medical issues or neurological or mobility issues, then the amount of bedding you have should suit the hamster's specific medical needs, regardless of any guidelines. So for example, a hamster with mobility issues may not be able to walk well with deeper bedding or need a flatter surface like hemp mat over a layer of bedding. A hamster who is unwell and weak may struggle to get in and out of deep bedding and feel more secure being able to manage with a few inches of bedding and not have to struggle to dig themselves out if they dig down.
Timing
There is no sudden rush to go out and upgrade - unless you were planning to do so and it can be more important to time any possible changes, to suit the individual hamster's circumstances. A hamster that is old or unwell would benefit from avoiding upheaval and change maybe more than any benefit of a larger environment with deeper bedding. Providing they are already in a cage that's at least 80cm by 50cm.
However an older hamster that is in a cage that is too small, will still benefit from a cage upgrade to be able to have plenty of space at floor level when they can't climb any more or climbing is too risky.
People also sometimes need time to save up for things or to plan them around other things going on in life (eg a house move). So any upgrade should really be planned preparation, rather than a sudden rush to change everything.
So basically - there should be no pressure to do something immediately, but to weigh up the situation, depending on the hamster involved and prepare and plan carefully.
If you do plan to upgrade
Another reason not to immediately rush to upgrade is - to research the right cage carefully - if you do want to upgrade. Some cages might be the right size, but height needs looking at, depending on whether it is a dwarf or Syrian hamster. Some of the lower 100cm cages would accommodate deeper bedding at one end but not a Syrian sized wheel as well as 6" of bedding in the rest of the cage. But they might accommodate a 20cm wheel for a dwarf hamster quite easily. Changing from a cage to a tank style when a hamster is used to a cage, could take some adjustment. So it all needs to be considered carefully to avoid stress for the hamster - even though a cage upgrade is for their benefit - there needs to be a balance.
Also you might decide to make a cage, and that can take time to be done properly and safely.
When you do need to upgrade
If the hamster is in a cage smaller than 80cm by 50cm (eg Hamster Heaven size) then the cage does need upgrading, and when doing so, it would be best to meet the guidelines of approximately 100cm by 50cm or bigger.
So basically - nothing has changed in particular. 100cm or larger cages and deeper bedding for hamsters is something that has been widely known for quite a long time and many people are doing this already, and the forum guidelines already recommended these things also.
Edit - this post and the replies were originally posted in April 2023 - updated in July 2023
Update January 2024. Three out of four of the main animal welfare charities now recommend 100cm x 50cm cages for all species of hamster. Wood Green recently updated their guidance from 80 x 50 to 100 x 50.
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An excellent tank for your hammy. I don't think you'll need to upgrade from that. The 100cm by 50 cm recommended (or larger) is about 800 square inches.
