Hamsters in the wild travel up to 9 kilometers nightly and are solitary territorial animals whose captive needs are often severely underestimated.
The typical small pet hamster cage sold in pet stores provides a fraction of the space and enrichment needed for hamster welfare. Small plastic wheel toys cause spinal damage. Housing Syrian hamsters together despite their solitary nature results in fighting and stress. Germany has implemented science-based minimum standards that would dramatically improve hamster welfare if adopted globally.