Hamster Cage 101

Cage Recommendations

Our Requirements

At Snow White’s Rescue Cottage, our goal is to place hamsters in safe, loving homes—even if that sometimes means making thoughtful compromises.

Our minimum cage sizes are 360+ square inches for dwarf hamsters and 600+ square inches for Syrian hamsters.

While these may be lower than some quoted standards, they allow us to help more animals in need. We always encourage adopters to go larger when possible!

We link a few recommended enclosures below (including affiliate options), but please reach out—we’re happy to help you find affordable, gently used alternatives in the spirit of sustainability and cost-saving.

Wheel Recommendations

Our Requirements

Every hamster needs a properly sized wheel to stay healthy and happy—no exceptions! At Snow White’s Rescue Cottage, we believe that enrichment is essential, and a well-fitted wheel is one of the most important parts of a hamster's setup. Our wheel size requirements are:

6 inches or larger for dwarf hamsters
10 inches or larger for Syrian hamsters
Solid running surface, no bars or mesh

We’ll be linking some of our favorite options below, but don’t worry if you're on a budget—we often have gently used wheels available and are happy to help you find something affordable and appropriate

Saucer Style Wheels

“A wheel is a necessity, a saucer is an accessory!”

Saucers are great additions—but they should never replace a wheel, and they should follow the same size guidelines.

Food Recommendations

Mazuri Diet

At Snow White’s Rescue Cottage, we use and recommend Mazuri food blocks as the foundation of a healthy hamster diet. Specifically, we feed the 6F formula, which offers balanced nutrition and includes animal protein with a slightly lower protein percentage—perfect for most pet hamsters, but hard to buy in reasonable quantities. Because of that, e very adopted hamster goes home with a generous bag of Mazuri, and we’re always happy to provide more at no cost—just ask to pick up!

Alternatively, the Rat & Mouse formula is widely available at Chewy and Petco and makes a great substitute. This pellet food should be available in the cage at all times.

Seed Mix

But pellets aren’t enough! Hamsters are natural foragers and thrive when given the opportunity to express that instinct. That’s why we also send home a sample of our Snow White's Enchanted Forage Mix, a thoughtfully crafted seed blend available for pickup or in our online shop. Every purchase supports the rescue, and we’re committed to keeping it both high-quality and affordable.

More about diet

So why feed both? In the wild, hamsters deal with scarcity—at home, they can afford to be picky. They’ll often choose only the tastiest bits of seed mix, which can lead to imbalances over time. That’s where the Mazuri pellets come in, acting like a multivitamin to fill nutritional gaps, while the forage mix keeps life exciting, enriching, and natural.

Curious to learn more?

Check out this article written by our founder, Tony, for the California Hamster Association