Hamsters are among the most misunderstood pets. Standard hamster cages are dramatically inadequate for their needs, and emerging welfare research is driving a rethink of acceptable housing standards.
Hamster welfare is in a moment of scientific rethinking. Research by Gernot Kuhnen and others has documented that standard small cages cause behavioral pathologies in hamsters that disappear when adequate space and enrichment are provided. A hamster in a cage large enough to run, burrow deeply, forage across varied substrate, and build a nest shows dramatically different behavior than one in a standard pet store cage. The welfare improvement from cage size alone is among the largest achievable for any companion animal.