Setting up a hamster enclosure the right way is essential for giving your hamster a safe, enriching, and comfortable home. This guide walks you through every step based exactly on a complete enclosure setup, from bedding depth to hideouts, wheels, sand baths, enrichment, and final touches.
1. Start With the Right Cage Size
The foundation of a proper setup is choosing a cage with enough floor space.
- Do not use anything smaller than 40″ × 20″.
- Smaller cages create problems like:
- Less space for enrichment
- Difficulty fitting essential items
- Higher chance of stress and boredom
Why floor space matters
Hamsters are highly active and need uninterrupted room to burrow, dig, forage, and run.
2. Add Deep Bedding
Adding deep bedding is one of the most important parts of preparing a hamster enclosure. It supports natural burrowing behaviour, helps stabilize tunnels, and absorbs odors effectively. A properly layered bedding base creates a secure, comfortable underground environment where your hamster can dig, nest, and rest naturally.
Recommended depth
- Minimum: 8 inches
- Ideal: 10+ inches
Safe bedding options
- Paper bedding
- Aspen shavings
- Hemp
- Spruce shavings
Setup tips
- Pack the bedding down as you add it so burrows don’t collapse.
- Avoid pine or cedar.
3. Install the First Hideout (Multi-Chamber Hide)
A multi-chamber hide gives your hamster a safe, burrow-like space to rest and store food. Installing it early helps create a secure, organized area your hamster can settle into naturally.
Why multi-chamber hides help
- Gives privacy
- Encourages natural sleeping behaviour
- Helps hamsters stay calm
Use stilts for safety
Place heavy hideouts on stilts to avoid accidental collapse if the hamster burrows underneath.
- You can use premade stilts (e.g., Niteangel)
- Or DIY wooden dowels
4. Add the Exercise Wheel (On a Platform)
An exercise wheel is essential for keeping your hamster active and healthy. Setting it on a platform ensures stable movement and prevents deep bedding from blocking or tipping the wheel during use.
Wheel requirements
- Solid running surface
- Must allow the hamster’s back to stay straight
Wheel sizes
- Syrians: 10–12 inches
- Dwarfs: 8–9 inches
Avoid mesh or wire wheels, they cause injuries.
5. Add Platforms for Heavy Accessories
Heavy accessories need stable support so they don’t collapse if your hamster burrows underneath. Adding platforms keeps these items secure and protects tunnel structures inside the enclosure.
- Place it on a wooden or plastic platform
- This prevents collapse if tunnels form underneath
You can buy platforms or make them from plywood or untreated wood.
6. Set Up the Sand Bath
A sand bath is essential for keeping your hamster’s coat clean and oil-free. Providing a spacious container with safe, dust-free sand allows them to dig, roll, and groom naturally.
Choose a container
- Ceramic dish
- Glass baking dish
- Wide plastic container
Must be big enough for digging and rolling.
Sand to use
- Dye-free, calcium-free chinchilla sand
- Not dust (dust causes respiratory infections)
Note: Roborovskis prefer larger sand baths because of their natural desert habitat.
7. Add Additional Substrates for Enrichment
Additional substrates add texture and sensory variety to the cage, giving your hamster more to explore beyond their main bedding. Scattering different materials creates a richer, more engaging environment.
Safe substrate options
- Cork granules
- Aspen or beech chips
- Coconut fiber
- Cocoa bark
- Corn cob bedding
Note: Scatter these in different zones for sensory variety.
8. Add Extra Hideouts
Adding multiple hideouts gives your hamster safe options for resting, nesting, and retreating when they want privacy. Placing different types around the enclosure helps create secure zones throughout the habitat.
Types of hideouts
- Wooden
- Ceramic
- Grass
- Cardboard
Entrance size
- Syrians: 3 inches
- Dwarfs & Chinese: 2 inches
Note: Place hideouts in different corners to create safe zones.
9. Add Natural Elements
Natural elements like logs and branches add climbing options, texture, and hiding spots, making the enclosure feel more natural and enriching. These pieces also help break up open spaces and encourage healthy exploration.
Enrichment items like:
- Cork logs
- Grapevine branches
- Birch logs
These provide:
- Climbing opportunities
- Texture
- Coverage
- Natural aesthetic
10. Add Bridges & Ladders
Bridges and ladders make it easier for your hamster to move across different depths and levels in the enclosure. They add safe climbing opportunities while helping connect various enrichment areas smoothly.
Types you may use:
- Dowel bridge
- Bendable wooden bridge
Important: Stuff cracks in bendable bridges with sphagnum moss to prevent limb injuries.
11. Add the Water Source
A reliable water source is essential for your hamster’s daily hydration. Whether you choose a dish or a bottle, positioning it correctly ensures easy access and prevents contamination from deep bedding. You can choose:
Water Dish
- Easier to clean
- Must be placed on a platform, not on bedding
Water Bottle
- Also acceptable if you prefer
- Ensure proper height so the hamster doesn’t strain its neck
12. Add Forage (Sprays)
Forage sprays add natural enrichment by encouraging your hamster to search, collect, and nibble seeds just as they would in the wild. They also enhance the enclosure visually and promote healthier exploration habits.
Common safe sprays
- Millet
- Flax
- Oat
- Canary seed
- Amaranth
Benefits
- Encourages natural food-collecting instinct
- Adds visual coverage
- Increases exploration
Replace sprays only when eaten, not daily.
13. Add Moss (Sphagnum & Pillow Moss)
Moss provides:
- Nesting material
- Natural texture
- Aesthetic colour contrast
- Soft padding under tunnels or hides
Place small clusters around hideouts and branches.
14. Add Chews (Optional but Useful)
If your enclosure already has plenty of natural wood, chews aren’t mandatory. But many hamsters still enjoy them.
Examples:
- Willow sticks
- Apple wood
- Hay cubes
- Balsa chews
15. Add Dried Herbs & Flowers
Dried herbs and flowers introduce natural scents and gentle textures while offering small, nutritious nibbles your hamster can enjoy. Sprinkling them lightly around the enclosure adds variety and encourages relaxed foraging.
Examples:
- Marigold
- Chamomile
- Rose petals
- Plantain
- Blue cornflower
16. Scatter the Regular Seed Mix
Instead of using a food dish:
- Scatter the hamster’s regular seed mix across the bedding
- This encourages digging and exploring
- Mimics wild foraging
- Reduces boredom
This step is essential for mental enrichment.
Your Hamster Cage Is Now Fully Ready
With every layer, hideout, texture, and enrichment piece in place, your hamster’s enclosure is now fully prepared for daily exploring, digging, nesting, and natural activity. Before introducing your hamster, do a final check to ensure platforms are stable, entrances are accessible, and water is within easy reach. Once everything feels steady and balanced, gently place your hamster inside and allow them to adjust at their own pace.
Setting up a Hamster Cage isn’t just about arranging supplies, it’s about creating a secure, stimulating space where your hamster can express natural behaviours. A well-prepared cage reduces stress, supports healthy routines, and provides daily enrichment.
As your hamster explores, observe their preferred spots and how they use toys and tunnels. Make small adjustments over time to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and dynamic home for months to come.
FAQs
1. What should I do if my hamster keeps digging all the bedding to one side?
This usually means the bedding isn’t packed down enough or there isn’t enough depth. Firmly compress the bottom layers and add more bedding across the cage so tunnels hold their shape and the bedding stays evenly distributed.
2. How do I fit all essential items in a small hamster enclosure?
Prioritize the must-haves first: bedding depth, wheel, hideout, water source, and sand bath. Remove bulky, unnecessary items and use vertical space such as platforms to avoid overcrowding.
3. My wheel doesn’t fit because of a deep hamster bedding. How can I fix this?
Place the wheel on a raised platform or a wooden stand. This keeps it stable while letting you maintain the recommended bedding depth around the rest of the cage.
4. How can I stop heavy accessories from sinking into the hamster bedding?
Secure them on solid platforms or attach stilts under larger items. This prevents collapse and keeps tunnels safe when the hamster burrows underneath.