Kids' Homemade Cages for Hamsters

If you can't find a suitable cage for your pet hamster at the pet store -- or you simply don't want to pay retail prices -- get crafty and recycle common household items to make your own cage, accessories and hamster toys. Kids can help an adult construct a homemade hamster cage for a pet in less than one afternoon.

  1. Plastic Cage

    • Making a hamster cage from plastic offers the most colorful and lightweight option. A 10-gallon plastic or rubber tote with walls taller than 12-inches quickly converts into a hamster home for one Syrian or two dwarf-size hamsters. Choose your child's favorite color of tote, line the bottom with one inch of hamster bedding and add the pet's toys and accessories. To keep other pets from getting too close to the hamster, place a mesh screen over the top of the hamster cage. Kids can easily remove the light-weight lid and reach for the pet during adult-supervised playtime.

    Glass Cage

    • If your pet loves to chew, make a homemade cage from a glass aquarium. Since this durable cage has more weight than a plastic cage, place it on a low table that is easily accessible to children. This will discourage the youngsters from trying to lift and lower the cage to their height for playtime. Pair a 10-gallon aquarium with a coordinating 10-gallon wire mesh reptile tank lid. Use reptile locks to secure the lid if children shouldn't access the pet without permission. To make the hamster comfortable, fill the base of the aquarium with three to four inches of hamster bedding.

    Wire Cage

    • Bird cages designed for small species such as finches or parakeets transition into a hamster home without many alterations. The bird water and food bowls can hold the hamster's pellet food and solid treats. Hang a water bottle on the outside of the cage with just the metal nozzle poking in the cage for the hamster to drink from. Since hamsters have soft pads on the base of their feet, remove any wire dividers from the bottom of the birdcage. Hamsters should have a smooth, solid base layered with hamster bedding.

    Homemade Accessories

    • To keep your pet content and stress-free, offer it homemade accessories. Create a hamster house by cutting entry door holes in an empty facial tissue box. Make a chew treat toy by stuffing an empty cardboard toilet paper tube with alfalfa. The hamster will tug and pull to eat the greenery and chew on the cardboard. When recycling any cardboard-based household object for pet use, remove any glue or plastic parts before putting it in the hamster cage.