Historically, and mainly as a result of manufacturing limitations, the options that were available for you to choose from were limited when it came to small family pet cages.  They were either rectangular wire cages, or, well, frankly rectangular wire cages.  This obviously meant that choice was somewhat limited.  There are so many ways you can present a wire cage in an interesting way, indeed, some might say there is no way to present a rectangular wire cage in an interesting way.  However, at some point someone had the intelligent idea of using an old aquarium as a substitute hamster residence and because the idea is a good one, the idea caught on.  Thus the glass hamster cage became a reality.  Since that time a number of different manufacturers have started creating specially made hamster cages to capitalise on the demand for these more interesting environments.

Glass hamster cages are good choices for a home for you little pet.  They allow you to see into the hamster nest whilst the hamster is sleeping, they protect your hamster from drafts and generally provides a safe and secure home and perhaps importantly prevents your pet from having any chance of chewing through a door, or the plastic surround of a cage and never being seen again.

There are however drawbacks to glass hamster cages.  They are not particularly good for ventilation, the lack of can really be very harmful to hamsters and for this reason they should never be placed in an area where it is exposed to direct sunlight as this would create very unpleasant conditions.  They also suffer more than wire or plastic cages from condensation and as a result they require cleaning perhaps more often than alternative habitats. They are heavy and difficult to move.  And finally, a small point but it is sometimes difficult to attach a water bottle to the side walls.

All in all, as you will probably know, there is no right answer to the question of what is the best cage for your hamster.  A glass hamster cage that works well for one person may be totally unsuitable for another, but hopefully from this article you have gained a sense of what is good and bad about glass hamster cages.

Cost

It may well be that you have an old aquarium no longer in use somewhere in your home, in which case it is probably a really good idea to set up an aquarium hamster cage as a way of recycling the item.  But if you do not then you may well find that purchasing an aquarium specifically for the purpose of using it as a hamster cage is quite a lot more expensive than purchasing a wire hamster cage or a plastic hamster cage.

Cleaning

When considering what to use as a hamster cage it is important to think about cleaning your hamster cage once it is in use.  There is an argument that suggests that the glass walls and floor of an aquarium hamster cage makes cleaning quick and easy and that keeping them really clean is easier than other cages.  But you also have to consider that the only access into your aquarium hamster cage is from the top which may well make the practicalities of cleaning the cage quite awkward.  You should also give some consideration to its weight as the glass will be a lot heavier than alternative cages and mean that moving your aquarium hamster cage around is awkward and cumbersome.

Safety And Security

First, your hamster cage, aquarium or otherwise should be well ventilated.  Failure to provide adequate ventilation can harm your pet.  Clearly the only form of ventilation that you will be able to provide in your aquarium hamster cage is from the ceiling.  So if your aquarium has a cover you should remove it and attach a wire mesh as a ceiling instead.  This will provide good ventilation and also ensure that your hamster is not able to escape the cage.

Removing any top will also resolve another problem you may face with an aquarium hamster cage and that is condensation.  If you do cover the top you may well find condensation forming on the sides of the cage which will drip to the base and create an unpleasant environment for your hamster to live in.

Aquarium hamster cages do not suffer from draughts in the same way that wire hamster cages may well do but it is important that you do not place your aquarium hamster cage in direct sunlight as this will almost certainly be very unpleasant and even potentially fatal for your hamster.

Finally, you need to consider where inside your aquarium hamster cage you will locate a water bottle which is an essential item to provide your pet.  Clearly the bottle can’t easily be attached to the glass sides but you may well find that sticky backed velcro will solve this problem for you.

In summary, aquarium hamster cages can be a great alternative to wire or plastic hamster cages but you need to make sure that you consider all the above before finally deciding as by overlooking some of the above you might seriously harm your little pet.

But first, a word of warning.  Pink hamster cages are made from plastic and whilst plastic is a really versatile material to make hamster cages from, but there are some drawbacks that you need to consider.  Failure to consider these matters may well harm your pet and cause you some distress.  First you need to make sure that your hamster cage pink or otherwise is easy to clean.  If it is not easy to clean you may well not clean it as regularly as you should.  This can cause health problems for your hamster as ammonia fumes from stale urine can cause breathing difficulties, especially when inside closed spaces like tunnels and mezzanine layers in complex hamster cages.  The second factor to consider is the size of the tunnels.  Syrian hamsters can grow quite large and if they get too big can get stuck in some of the tunnels.  So the tunnels look interesting for your hamster but might still prove a problem if you are not careful.

Notwithstanding these concerns there are a number of pink hamster cages to choose from, most of which are perfectly safe and secure homes for your hamster.

The Rotastak Pink Palace is the number one choice of pink hamster cage.  The cage is a complete home for your hamster with tubes and tunnels and a choice of accessories.  As with all Rotastak hamster cages you also have the option to extend as much as you like to create a much larger living space for you hamster if you feel the need.  The Pink Palace dimensions are: Height: 53cm / 21″ Width: 48cm / 19″ Depth: 58cm / 23″

Another great pink hamster cage is the Magic Maze, again made by Rotastak.  This hamster cage is slightly unconventional in its appearance with tunnels extending above and behind the main cage area.  It also has a wire mesh on the front of the cage which will improve ventilation to for your pet.  Ventilation is an important aspect in hamster care as too little can cause problems.  The wire mesh is sufficiently wide to make the cage unsuitable for dwarf hamsters as it is insufficiently secure.  The Magic Maze dimensions are:Height 38cm / 15 Width 61cm / 24″ Depth 53cm / 21″

The next option to look at is the Rotastak Dreamland Hamster Mouse Cage.  Features included with this cage are the trademark Rotastak curvy tubing, with a lid for easy access to the cage and a built in water bottle.  A great feature about this hamster cage is the “Fairy Carriage” which allows you to transport your pet in a safe, but familiar way without the problems of transporting the whole cage.  Dimensions of the Rotastak Dreamland Hamster Cage are: Height: 36cm / 14″ Width: 38cm / 15″ Depth: 41cm / 16″

The final pink hamster cage to review is the Rotastak Pink Starter Home Hamsters Cage.  This hamster cage has a main living area and a detachable carry cage area with the two main compartments interlinked through the use of tubes and tunnels.  Included with the cage is a hamster wheel and a built in water bottle.  The cage is built so that there is a look out level so that your pet can see all around.  You also get stickers to decorate the outside of your pink hamster cage as you choose. Dimensions are: Height: 41cm / 16″ Width: 41cm / 16″ Depth: 26cm / 10″

As you can see there are quite a variety of pink hamster cages available from Rotastak.  They are all priced closely together so you can select the one that you think is right for your pet without worry.

Your Hamster Cage

You should purchase the largest hamster cage that you can afford.   The larger the better.  Ideally the sides of the cage should be wire mesh to ensure good ventilation.  Hamsters do tend to be quite territorial so when trying to answer your question “how to ensure my hamster lives longer” you should think hard before housing more than one hamster per cage as you run the risks of fights breaking out.  You should cover the base of your hamster cage with some wood shavings and provide some straw bedding.  Don’t place the cage in direct sunlight or in draughty location as these can both cause health issues.  Then provide your hamster with plenty of toys to play with and keep the cage clean.

Feeding Your Hamster

Always keep fresh water available in a bottle.  Give you hamster fresh food every day in a feeding bowl in a corner of the cage.  It may be worthwhile placing the bowl in an area that is easily accessible and therefore easy to clean.  You might also give your hamster fresh vegetables and occasionally some fruit and also supplement its diet with occasional vitamin supplement tablets.

Keep Your Hamster Healthy

You should provide a wooden gnaw to ensure that they are able to keep their tooth growth under control.  Generally speaking if you keep your hamster cage clean and your hamster well fed you can have a reasonable expectation that your hamster will live a clean and healthy life for several years.
And that’s it really.  Hamsters are really very easy animals to look after and can give you hours of fun if you do look after them.  So if you want to know “how to ensure my hamster lives longer” you should give you hamster a large cage, feed it a good diet, provide an active play area and keep its living environment clean you should have no problems.