Oxbow Animal Health

Housing Your Hamster or Gerbil

Hamsters and gerbils require adequate space to foster creative living, playing, and burrowing. Your pet’s cage or aquarium environment should include bedding such as Oxbow’s Pure Comfort Bedding, places to hide such as Timothy CLUB Bungalow, Hideout, or Tunnel, cardboard tubes, an exercise wheel, and grass hay for burrowing and nesting. Hamsters and gerbils should not be exposed to temperatures that are too hot or cold. Place your pet’s habitat away from heating and cooling ducts and windows.   

Because of the difference in their behaviors, hamsters and gerbils have specific housing requirements:

HAMSTERS:	GERBILS:
Can live in a variety of cages including wire cages and glass aquariums AVOID: Plastic aquariums and cages, as your hamster can easily chew through it Wire cages should have a solid bottom and wires that are close together to avoid your pet escaping Ensure that the door of the cage is large enough for you to reach your hand inside	Choose clear glass or plastic aquariums to accommodate natural burrowing Equip aquarium with a secure mesh top to ensure healthy airflow