Hamsters are among the most popular small pets globally, yet their welfare is frequently compromised by housing and husbandry that fails to meet their complex behavioural needs.
Hamster welfare has historically been poorly understood even by dedicated owners, partly because these nocturnal animals hide signs of distress and partly because inadequate husbandry has been normalised by the pet industry. Evidence increasingly shows that enriched, large enclosures with deep substrate for burrowing, solid-surface wheels, and opportunities for foraging produce hamsters with lower stress responses and fewer stereotypies. The mismatch between typical commercial housing and actual welfare needs is substantial and deserves greater public attention.