another housing option for your hamster

(idea) by hamster bong (3.8 wk) (print) ? (I like it!) 1 C! Mon May 15 2000 at 23:44:47

That's right, you can choose to keep your furry little critter in an aquarium (not one filled with water, they aren't fish, and don't swim well).

If you do, make sure it has enough ventilation! The top could be covered with a screen or wire mesh of sorts, but make sure that dogs, cats, or other pets can't get in. It also has to keep the hamster in. I've kept several hamsters in tanks throughout the years and I ran into a couple of problems that I imagine are quite common.. so, here they are, for your benefit:

You pretty much have to use a water dish, unless you have a bottle that suction cups to the side or one that clips onto the top without messing up the covering. The hamster may use the water bottle as an escape route, seriously, do not underestimate those little Houdini's!
It's kind of a pain to clean them, as opposed to cages that can be lifted and easily dumped out. You have to reach in and scoop it out most of the time.
They're breakable, a lot more so than the other types of hamster housing. Not to mention that your hamster may chew on the sealant used in the corners, so make sure it's non-toxic, and that it won't matter too much if some of it comes off.
There are no bars for them to climb on, so it's not quite so fun for them, they'll need extra toys. Unless you put little suction cups on their feet.. no, no that won't work.

Those are the down-sides, but there are some ups as well! Aquariums come in much larger sizes, and will be less messy in between cleanings because they can't kick bedding out. Also, they're less noisy, no chewing on bars! Tanks are ideal for mother hamsters because the babies can't squeeze through bars or get caught any where. Just another housing option for your dear little friend.

printable version
chaos

things you should know about your hamster's cage	Everything you wanted to know about hamsters, and then some!	Who's Rating our Games?	Washing the interior windshield of a car
Wet Tail	Kamppi	Virtua Hamster	Survivor
trash can	M4 Sherman tank	Gitaroo Man	You're playing you, now
Black Hole Personality	ferret	Tank II	Robot Tank
aquarium	cat	Underestimate

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