A proper cage must have at least 450 square inches of unbroken floor space (i.e. one single enclosure of 450 square inches, not several small connected enclosures).
Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamsters, Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamsters, and Roborovski Hamsters can cohabitate respectively according to their species type, but must be related, and of the same sex (i.e. sisters, mother and daughter). This is not recommended for beginners.
Chinese and Syrian hamsters are strictly solitary and must be housed alone.
The only cages with bars that should be used are those with ¼ inch, or ½ inch (for Syrian hamsters only) spacing.
How to measure cages:
Manufacturer supplied dimensions do not always indicate the actual usable floor space, especially in the case of plastic bins as the advertised measurements are typically of the top of the bin where it is widest.
Always make sure to measure the bottom part of the cage which would be the floor space used by the hamster.
To find the area, multiply the Length by the Width.
Choose an enclosure that would be able to fit a 12 inch wheel, so a minimum of 15 inches in height.
