If you are planning to bring home a baby syrian, ("teddy-bear hamster") keep in mind that he will grow- up to 8 inches long! A small cage is fine for now, but after the bonding period, he will need alot more space and stimulation. (Syrians MUST live alone!)
If you are considering a pair, or trio of dwarves, (please never house a dwarf alone) a small cage is fine for now, but dwarves also need more room and stimulation after the bonding period.
If you plan to buy a "hand-crafted" cage from a dealer, or make one yourself, here are some things to consider: Is the floor solid? (Open-slotted, wire bases are dangerous and painful to a rodent's feet and legs.) Are the bars close enough together? (The rule is, "If the head fits through, the body will follow." Remember, a hamster has very agile bones, and can squeaze through very small spaces! (especially dwarves!)
My recommendations: If you are bringing home dwarves, start out with a Crittertrail 1,2, or 3. Crittertrail is made by "Superpet" and can be found at Petco, Petsmart, and other chains. The openings are small, and the tubes are perfect for even the newest-weaned pups to climb in. Later, you can use a rubbermaid tub to add on to your hamster's house.. (more about that later.)
If you are bringing home a syrian, I recommend a larger made cage, such as habitrail. Look at the openings and tubes. Are they large enough for an adult syrian to travel through?
Desert Empire also makes cages, but I do not recommend them because they are solid plastic- with only a few vent holes at the top. If you opt for a solid plastic cage, your hamster will not have good ventilation, and will most likely not run much on his wheel because of it. *Another reason I don't recommend aquariums- most are escapable unless you use a mesh cover- this also causes poor ventilation.
