You might think you know how large a hamster cage needs to be. But did you know there are different hamster cage size minimums depending on where in the world you live?
Some organizations have much higher hamster cage minimums that require you to give your hamster more space. But this begs the question: should we all adopt the minimum cage requirements that give our hamsters the most space?
Here, we’ll let you know the minimum hamster cage size requirements by country, all around the world. That way, you can decide for yourself which size minimums you want to follow for your own hamster.
Learn more: Best Hamster Cages and Enclosures in the US
Why Are There Different Hamster Cage Minimums?
It’s not completely clear how different organizations and companies set their minimum cage recommendations for hamsters.
Some reasons that an organization might recommend a very small hamster cage minimum are:
- Lack of research. An organization might not have done the research necessary to know what size of enclosure a hamster really needs.
- Outdated information. Hamster care standards are constantly evolving as additional research comes out. Some websites have so much content about hamsters that they fail to go back and update older articles and pages.
- Lack of proper hamster cages in that country. The organization might recognize that there aren’t many proper-sized hamster cages or enclosures available in that country. They may not want people to get turned away from the idea of owning hamsters entirely, so they recommend a more approachable size.
- To sell products. Unfortunately, many companies choose to recommend lower cage minimums so that they can sell their small cages. This includes cage makers as well as pet stores. The numbers offered by these companies can also cause animal organizations to report inaccurate hamster cage minimums.
Hamster Cage Minimum Sizes by Country
While countries don’t have laws regarding hamster cage size, each country has organizations and companies that recommend hamster cage minimums. Many counties also have governmental agencies that give hamster cage size requirements.
We’ll start with the countries with the highest minimums and list those with the lowest minimums last.
(Have another size minimum source that we haven’t listed? Please let us know by commenting or using our contact form.)
Note: Countries that have fewer sites listing hamster cage minimums may have higher “average” requirements simply because there are fewer “low-quality” sources bringing their average down.
1. Germany
Average Minimum Floor Space: 1,017 sq. in. / 6,667 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 1,550 sq. in. / 10,000 sq. cm
Minimum Dimensions: 40x40x24 in / 100x100x60 cm
German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
Minimum Floor Space: 775 sq. in. / 5,000 sq. cm
Tierärztliche Vereinigung für Tierschutz
Minimum Floor Space: 775 sq. in. / 5,000 sq. cm
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2. South Africa
Average Minimum Floor Space: 698 sq. in. / 4,500 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Syrian): 775 sq. in. / 5,000 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Dwarf): 620 sq. in. / 4,000 sq. cm
3. Singapore
Average Minimum Floor Space: 698 sq. in. / 4,500 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 698 sq. in. / 4,500 sq. cm
4. Italy
Average Minimum Floor Space: 649 sq. in. / 4,188 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Dwarf): 523 sq. in. / 3,375 sq. cm
Minimum Dimensions (Dwarf): 30×18 in. / 75×45 cm
Minimum Floor Space (Syrian): 775 sq. in. / 5,000 sq. cm
Minimum Dimensions (Syrian): 39×20 in. / 100×50 cm
5. United Kingdom
Average Minimum Floor Space: 620 sq. in. / 4,000 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 620 sq. in. / 4,000 sq. cm
Minimum Dimensions: 31x20x20 in. / 80x50x50 cm
Minimum Floor Space: 620 sq. in. / 4,000 sq. cm
Minimum Dimensions: 31x20x20 in. / 80x50x50 cm
6. Philippines
Average Minimum Floor Space: 544 sq. in. / 3,510 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Syrian): 776 sq. in. / 5,000 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Dwarf): 621 sq. in. / 4,000 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Syrian): 420 sq. in. / 2,400 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Dwarf): 360 sq. in. / 2,700 sq. cm
7. United States of America
Average Minimum Floor Space: 491 sq. in. / 3,168 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Syrian): 900 sq. in / 5,806 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space (Dwarf & Chinese): 700 sq. in / 4,516 sq. cm
California Hamster Association
Minimum Floor Space: 600 sq. in. / 3,871 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 600 sq. in. / 3,871 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 450 sq. in. / 2,903 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 450 sq. in. / 2,903 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 288 sq. in. / 1,858 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 288 sq. in. / 1,858 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 288 sq. in. / 1,858 sq. cm
Minimum Dimensions: 24x12x12 in. / 61x31x31 cm
Minimum Floor Space: 144 sq. in. / 929 sq. cm
Minimum Dimensions: 12x12x12 in. / 31x31x31 cm
8. Canada
Average Minimum Floor Space: 275 sq. in. / 1,774 sq. cm
Minimum Floor Space: 450 sq. in. / 2,904 sq. cm
Canadian Council on Animal Care
Minimum Floor Space: 100 sq. in. / 650 sq. cm
ASPCA and RSPCA Hamster Cage Requirements
The ASPCA and RSPCA used to offer cage size minimums for hamsters, but they now only state that “bigger is better.”
This is thought to be because of the lack of reliable research about how big a space hamsters need.
Here are the minimums previously offered by the ASPCA, RSPCA, and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS):
ASPCA Hamster Cage Minimums (Out of Date)
200 sq. in. / 1,290 sq. cm
RSPCA Hamster Cage Minimums (Out of Date)
430 sq. in. / 2,274 sq. cm (Dwarf)
620 sq. in. / 4,000 sq. cm (Syrian)
HSUS Hamster Cage Minimums (Out of Date)
576 sq. in. / 3,616 sq. cm (Wire Cage)
288 sq. in. / 1,858 sq. cm (Tank)
Learn more: Best Hamster Wheels for Dwarf Hamsters
Our Hamster Cage Size Minimum
Based on all of the research we’ve read, the sources listed above, and our own first-hand experience, we recommend a minimum hamster cage size below.
- Minimum Floor Space (Syrian): 775 sq. in. / 5,000 sq. cm
- Minimum Floor Space (Dwarf): 615 sq. in. / 3,968 sq. cm
This is the bare minimum that we recommend, and if you can give your hamster more space (like the German minimums shown above), that’s great!
However, we have seen hamsters thriving with this amount of space, as long as they have the proper enrichment and care.
We don’t want to suggest a minimum that’s too large, and we don’t think an extremely large enclosure is necessary based on our research.
We’d rather encourage loving hamster owners to upgrade to a larger–but still manageable–enclosure than feel like they need to rehome their pet (or give up on upgrading their hamster’s enclosure).
Hamster Cage Size Petitions
It’s essential that hamster owners and advocates speak up to correct the hamster cage size minimums around the world.
If you want to sign a petition that will help raise the standards of care for hamsters, please look into the following petitions. If you know of another one, or you have your own petition, please reach out to us.
Our Hamster Cage Recommendations
Finding a hamster cage that meets these minimums isn’t easy. We review enclosures that actually qualify in our best hamster cages guide.
Some of the options we recommend are below.
1. Prevue 528 Universal Small Animal Home
Floor Space: 617 sq. in. / 3,981 sq. cm
2. Aqueon 40-Gallon Tank
Floor Space: 648 sq. in. / 4,181 sq. cm
3. OIIBO 50-Gallon Terrarium
Floor Space: 648 sq. in. / 4,181 sq. cm
4. IKEA Detolf (with DIY mesh lid)
Floor Space: 1,088 sq. in. / 7,019 sq. cm
5. 50-Gallon DIY Bin Cage
Floor Space: 819 sq. in. / 5,284 sq. cm
Sources:
“Different Enclosure Minimum Standards by Organization.” The Hamingway. https://www.thehamingway.com/enclosure-standards
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