Instructions
Decide where you are going to keep your hamster cage. Pick a spot that is away from heaters, drafts and direct sunlight, to avoid extreme temperature fluctuations. Place your cage in your chosen spot before you begin setting it up.
Clean the cage with warm water and a mild soap. Rinse all of the soap residue off, and then dry it thoroughly with paper towels.
Cover the floor of the cage with a 2 inch layer of bedding. Use pine or aspen wood shavings that are marketed for the care of small animals, such as Critter Care or Care Fresh. Never use cedar wood chips, they can be harmful to your hamster.
Add some hay or white shredded paper or toilet paper to the cage for nesting material. Do not use scented or colored papers; the additives are harmful to the hamster if he eats them.
Put a small plastic or wood house into the cage for your hamster to build her bed in. Hamsters like to sleep in dark, quiet places. Houses for use by small pets are sold in most pet stores.
Hang a water bottle on the side of the cage approximately three inches off of the ground. If you are using a glass aquarium you need a water bottle that attaches with suction cups. Providing a food dish is also a good idea. You can feed your hamster without a dish because they enjoy foraging for their food, but feeding outside of a dish makes it harder for you to know how much your hamster is eating.
Provide a hamster wheel and an assortment of other hamster toys such as mazes and tubes to keep your hamster occupied. Don't forget to include chew sticks; a hamsters teeth constantly grow and need to be gnawed down regularly.
How to Set up a Hamster Cage
The most common type of hamster cage is a wire cage with a plastic base. Glass aquariums also work well for housing hamsters. If using a glass aquarium, make sure the top of the aquarium is made from wire and provides good ventilation. The cage needs to be at least 25 inches by 17 inches to give your hamster plenty of space.