Hides and houses
Shelves and ledges
Foraging and toys
Cage accessories
Kits and bundles
Fairy forest
Spooky mischief
Sweetie stash
Game mode
Forest floor
Castles and cathedrals
The hamster accessories checklist
This is the full list of what a hamster needs on day one. Get the cage, bedding and wheel right first: those three do most of the work for a hamster's welfare, and they are where most starter kits fall short.
- A cage or tank with at least 100 x 50 cm (40 x 20 in) of floor, solid base and plenty of air flow
- Paper or aspen bedding, enough to fill it 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) deep
- A solid wheel: 20 cm (8 in) or more for dwarfs, 30 cm (12 in) or more for Syrians
- A nest box or multi-chamber hide, plus a second hide or two
- Nesting material: plain paper strips or soft hay
- A sand bath with plain, unscented sand
- A water bottle or a heavy, shallow bowl
- A heavy ceramic food bowl, or space for scatter feeding
- A good hamster food mix and a few safe fresh foods
- Chews: untreated wood, hay cubes, cardboard
- Tunnels and cardboard tubes
- A dig box with coco soil or another loose substrate
- A small carrier for vet trips
Our guide to setting up a hamster cage shows where each of these goes.
Hamster cage and accessories: start with space
PDSA gives a minimum floor of 100 x 50 cm (40 x 20 in), says bigger is always better, and prefers one large level to tall cages with several small floors. The Hamster Society Singapore gives a similar 90 x 50 cm (35 x 20 in). Many cages sold as hamster starter kits are much smaller, and the Hamster Society lists small pet-shop cages as an item to avoid because they cause stress and biting.
The RSPCA prefers plastic bases with mesh or bar sides and a solid floor, never wire mesh underfoot, and says wooden cages shouldn't be used. San Diego Humane accepts glass tanks with a mesh top. Our guide to hamster cage size compares the options in detail.
Buy the cage last, not first. Once you know the size of the wheel, the depth of bedding and the hides you want, choose a cage tall enough at the base for that bedding and wide enough for the wheel to sit flat. Many cages that look big in the shop have shallow bases that can't hold deep bedding.
Bedding and nesting material
Hamsters dig tunnels and build nests, so depth matters more than type. PDSA asks for at least 25 cm (10 in). Woodgreen asks for at least 15 cm (6 in) across most of the cage with a deeper 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) digging area, and San Diego Humane says at least 15 cm (6 in), with 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) best. We'd aim for PDSA's 25 cm wherever the cage base allows it.
Paper bedding and aspen are the usual safe choices. PDSA warns against wood shavings and sawdust (dusty), scented bedding (irritates airways), newspaper (the ink can be toxic) and thick toilet paper (can cause gut blockages). Our guide to hamster bedding compares the types.
Never use cotton wool, kapok, bamboo fluff or any fluffy "hamster nest" bedding. PDSA and Woodgreen both warn it can wrap around legs and cause blockages if swallowed, and Woodgreen adds pouch problems. Plain paper strips or soft hay are safe nesting material.
The right hamster wheel
A wheel must have a solid running surface and be big enough for the hamster to run with a straight back. Sources agree on the principle and differ slightly on size.
| Source | Dwarf hamsters | Syrian hamsters |
|---|---|---|
| PDSA | At least 20 cm (8 in) | At least 30 cm (12 in) |
| Woodgreen | 20 cm (8 in) | 30 cm (12 in), also for Chinese hamsters |
| San Diego Humane | 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in) | 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) |
| Hamster Society Singapore | 21 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in), light enough to turn | 27 cm (11 in) or more |
We'd follow PDSA and Woodgreen, as their sizes are the most generous. The Hamster Society lists signs that a wheel is too small: a hunched back while running, pawing at the outside of the wheel, or biting the cage. Skip mesh, slatted and barred wheels, which catch feet. Our guide to hamster wheel size covers each species.
Hides, tunnels and things to climb
Every hamster needs a dark, quiet place to sleep and store food. The RSPCA suggests a nest box big enough for a larder, sleeping and moving around, ideally with no floor so you can lift it to check on your hamster, and one more hiding place than the number of hamsters. Woodgreen suggests a multi-chamber hide buried under the bedding, which hamsters use like a burrow. PDSA lists cardboard boxes, ceramic pots and multi-chamber wooden hides.
Add tunnels and tubes to run through, cork or wood to climb over, and a few low platforms. Keep climbing low, in line with PDSA's preference for one large level over tall cages, so any slip is a short drop. See our guides to the best hamster hides and hamster tunnels.
Sand bath, water and food bowls
Hamsters groom in sand. Woodgreen suggests a shallow litter tray or takeaway tub of hamster-safe sand; the Hamster Society suggests a tray at least A5 size, 15 x 21 cm (6 x 8 in), and warns against scented sand, chinchilla dust and baby powder. Many hamsters use the sand as a toilet, which makes cleaning easier: just sift it. Our hamster sand bath guide lists safe sands.
Water can go in a bottle or a heavy, shallow bowl; San Diego Humane says to refill it daily. Food can go in a heavy ceramic bowl, but hamsters are natural foragers, so scattering some of it through the bedding gives them a job each night. Our guides to hamster water bottles and hamster food bowls go into the choices.
Chews and enrichment
A hamster's teeth grow all its life, so give it safe things to gnaw. PDSA lists untreated branches of apple, dogwood, elm, hawthorn, pear, poplar and willow, washed and then baked on a low heat for an hour, plus cardboard, coconut shells, hay cubes, pumice, seagrass and unbleached loofah. San Diego Humane adds plain, untreated wood. The Hamster Society lists mineral chews as an item to avoid.
- Add a dig box. Fill a tub with coco soil, as Woodgreen suggests, or a mix of paper bedding and hay, and hide a few seeds in it.
- Scatter some food. Spread part of the daily mix around the cage instead of all of it in the bowl.
- Give cardboard. Shoe boxes, cereal boxes and tubes become hides, tunnels and nesting material.
- Change one thing a week. Move a tunnel, add a new chew or swap a box, so the cage stays interesting without upsetting the nest.
Our hamster enrichment ideas and best hamster toys pages have much more.
Hamster accessories to avoid
- Exercise balls: Woodgreen warns hamsters become disoriented, have no water, and catch toes in the slits
- Cotton wool, kapok and fluffy bedding
- Scented bedding, scented sand, chinchilla dust and baby powder
- Pine and cedar shavings, which San Diego Humane and the Hamster Society both advise against
- Mesh, slatted or undersized wheels
- Wire floors and small multi-level starter cages
- Mineral chews, which the Hamster Society lists as an item to avoid
- Clothes, costumes and harnesses; see our guide to hamster harnesses
Christmas and Halloween hamster accessories are fun for photos, but we'd keep seasonal fun to cardboard boxes, safe forage and new hides. Dressing a hamster means handling it while it is frightened, and none of the welfare charities we read suggests it.
Hamster accessories for sale: a few to look at
We don't make pieces for hamsters yet, so these are from other shops we'd look at.
Trixie Wooden Exercise Wheel, 33 cm
An untreated wooden wheel with a cork running surface and its own stand, so it works in a tank as well as a cage. The 33 cm (13 in) size suits Syrians; the 21 cm (8 in) suits dwarfs. Check the wheel turns freely for a small hamster.
Pets at Home Ceramic Mushroom Hideaway
A ceramic hide, about 17 cm (7 in) across, with a removable lid, listed for Syrian and dwarf hamsters. Ceramic stays cool and washes easily. Check a large Syrian fits through the door comfortably.
Oxbow Enriched Life Burrow Box
A chewable hide of corrugated card, willow bark and paper that a hamster can shred and rebuild. Suits anyone who wants a hide that doubles as a chew. Expect to replace it when it has been chewed through.
Full Cheeks Quick Clean Dust Bath
A covered plastic bath, 15.7 x 15.7 cm (6.2 x 6.2 in), listed for hamsters and gerbils, that keeps sand in the tray. Suits dwarfs; a large Syrian may prefer an open tray. Fill it with plain sand, not dust.
Glass water bottles and ceramic bowls
PetSmart's small-pet range includes glass water bottles and ceramic feeders. Glass bottles can't be chewed, and a heavy ceramic bowl doesn't tip. Check the bottle spout sits low enough for a dwarf to reach.
We share our home with a dwarf hamster, and the cheapest accessories, a cardboard box and a deep pile of bedding, are often the most used. For the whole picture, see our complete hamster care guide, and keep a hamster carrier ready for vet trips.
Hamster accessory questions
What accessories does a hamster need?
The essentials are a cage of at least 100 x 50 cm (40 x 20 in), deep bedding, a solid wheel sized to the hamster, a nest box or hide, a sand bath, water in a bottle or bowl, a food bowl or scatter feeding, chews and cardboard to shred. Everything else is extra enrichment that you can add over time.
What size wheel does a hamster need?
PDSA gives at least 20 cm (8 in) for dwarf hamsters and at least 30 cm (12 in) for Syrians, with a solid running surface. The hamster should run with a flat back, not arched. Sources vary by a few centimetres, so if your hamster's back curves on its wheel, size up.
Are hamster balls safe?
We'd skip them. Woodgreen does not recommend exercise balls: hamsters can become disoriented, have no water inside, and can catch their toes in the air slits. The Hamster Society Singapore also lists them as an item to avoid. A safe playpen or a bigger cage gives the same exercise without those risks.
What accessories work in a glass tank?
Almost all of them, with a few changes. Use a mesh lid for air, a free-standing wheel rather than one that clips to bars, and a water bottle with a stand or a heavy bowl. Glass tanks hold deep bedding well, which hamsters love. Check air flow and temperature, as a tank in sun warms up quickly.
What can I make for my hamster at home?
Plenty. Cardboard boxes, toilet roll and kitchen roll tubes, egg boxes and plain brown paper make hides, tunnels and shredding material. PDSA also suggests untreated branches of apple, pear or willow, washed and baked on low heat for an hour. Avoid glue, tape, glossy card and inked paper.
Do hamsters need toys?
Yes. Hamsters are busy, curious animals that run, dig, climb, forage and chew every night. Without things to do, they may chew bars or try to escape, which Woodgreen describes as a sign of boredom. Tunnels, dig boxes, chews and scattered food are the most useful toys, and many cost nothing.
