10 Signs your hamster likes his cage

If your hamster likes his cage, he won’t try to escape, and he won’t go for bar biting. Regular sleeping and feeding is also a sign that your hamster is happy with its housing conditions.

So, how to know if your hamster likes its enclosure?

1- Your hamster is not hiding

The first sign that your hamster loves his cage is if he often comes out of his hideouts and burrows to explore his enclosure.

This is a sign that he feels safe in his cage and is a sign that he’s happy with his territory.

2- Your hamster shows an active and playful behavior

Another sign that your hamster is happy in his enclosure is when he spends a lot of time playing, on his wheel for example, or exploring his cage, a sign that he’s made his territory his own and is inspecting it for possible intruders.

3- Your hamster is curious

Another proof that your hamster loves his enclosure is when he often shows curiosity when he wakes up, exploring all the elements to detect any changes in the cage.

4- Regular use of the exercise wheel

A hamster that’s happy in its cage will regularly use its exercise wheel, a sign that it’s confident and feels safe in its enclosure.

5- Nesting and burrowing 

Another sign that your hamster loves his habitat is when he spends time making it up, so he’ll create tunnels and nests. He might even try moving branches from one corner of the cage to another to adapt the cage to his needs.

6- Eating and drinking

When a hamster doesn’t like its cage, it’s likely to ignore its food. So if your hamster eats regularly, it’s probably a sign that he feels comfortable in his cage.

7- Your hamster is relaxed

Another sign that your hamster is happy in his cage is if he’s not stressed. He should always appear relaxed, and above all not run away when you show up. 

A hamster that often has its back bent, with some visible signs of stress, such as excessive scratching or over-grooming is a hamster that’s tense and not happy with its territory.

Finally, if your hamster is happy with his environment, you’ll sometimes hear him purring or making soft sounds, and he’ll be interested in everything that’s going on outside his enclosure.

8- No bar biting

The most common sign that a hamster doesn’t like its cage is when it bites the bars of its cage, a sign that it doesn’t like its environment, in which case you absolutely must improve its enclosure and living conditions.

9- Your hamster doesn’t try to escape from its cage

If a hamster loves its cage, it won’t try to escape, even if you leave the door open. If, on the other hand, you often notice that your hamster is looking for a hole or a way out of its cage, this is a sign that it doesn’t like its environment very much, and that you need to improve its housing conditions.

10- Storing food

If your hamster loves its cage, it will show signs that it intends to stay and live there. One of these signs is the creation of food stashes, i.e. your hamster will hide a portion of his food in special chambers he’ll create in his bedding.

11- Comfortable sleeping and resting patterns

A hamster happy with its living conditions is likely to show a certain regularity in its sleeping, playing and grooming schedules.

What’s the best cage for a hamster?

For your hamster to love its cage, it must first be: 

• Very spacious cage (at least 800 square Inch).
• Well equipped (hides, tunnels, sandbox, nests, enrichment…).
• A good thick layer of bedding (at least 15 inches).
• Set up in a quiet spot, at a stable temperature and away from draughts and sunlight.
• Finally, your hamster must feel safe in its enclosure.

Final Thoughts

Even though your hamster is a small animal, it still needs plenty of space and a good layer of bedding. They also need to feel secure in their enclosure, and always have access to nesting material, food and water.