Choosing your home!
The Aquarium
Aquariums have many good attributes and give an extremely clear view of your pet. They give enough room to house about four adult dwarfs and are easy to maintain. They are affordable (Hardly $10 or a little more). They're hard to knock over, safe, and escape-proof.
However, heat can build in aquariums and cause heatstroke. My suggestion is to keep it out of direct sunlight and your hamster will be just fine. The best thing about aquariums, though, is the fact that they're so easy to clean out.
Wire Cages
My Personal Favorite!
Wire cages are well-ventilated, sturdy, lightweight, fairly easy to clean, and very economical. They cost anywhere from $8 to $20 dollars, depending on size. The only problems are the fact that drafts easily penetrate the cage and can cause pneumonia in the hamster. Also, hamsters tend to kick the bedding out of the cage and make a big mess. Otherwise, these homes are easy to maintain and easy to carry around.
Plastic Homes
These homes are commonly known as Habitrails or SAM cages. They're colorful, durable, and fun to piece together. Hamsters seem to enjoy them, but dwarfs have a definite problem getting up vertical tubes, so don't buy a cage that requires an acrobatic hamster. These cages are considerably more expensive than wire cages or aquariums. They range from $18 to $40 dollars. You can buy additional add-on tubes to give your hamster more play areas. Also, water bottles, food bowls, and wheels are positioned on the outside of the home, allowing more running and nesting space for your dwarf. The tubes are a little tricky to clean out, but as long as you clean the cage weekly, it's not usually a problem. Otherwise, these make great homes for any hamster!
