🏠Bedding and habitat for your rodent: getting the size right

This is the structural purchase — and where mistakes cost the most: too small, badly placed, badly sized. Our guides give serious minimum dimensions for a rodent, the materials that last, and the traps of entry-level products.

The key point : Go big: a 100 × 50 cm footprint is a minimum for a hamster, and guinea pigs must live in pairs — which means a pen.

Our dedicated guides

• What cage for a guinea pig? The C&C enclosure is the real answer

  What cage does a guinea pig need? Minimum floor space, the advantages of a modular C&C enclosure and a realistic budget: our guide to a truly suitable habitat.

• What cage for a rat? Height, levels and dimensions to respect

  What cage does a pet rat need? Minimum height, number of levels, bar spacing and budget: our advice for an aviary-style cage suited to this born climber.

• A tank for gerbils: finally giving them something to dig

  Why a glass tank beats a barred cage for gerbils: substrate depth, minimum dimensions, ventilation and budget for these tireless little diggers.

• Chinchilla housing: a large, cool aviary cage above all

  Chinchilla housing demands a tall aviary cage of at least 1 metre, wooden platforms and a cool room below 22 °C: our detailed advice and budgets.

• Rat hammocks: your companions’ favourite place to sleep

  The hammock is a rat’s favourite bed: suitable fabrics, safe attachment, how many hammocks per cage, upkeep and prices from 5 to 20 €.

• Minimum winter temperature: how much cold can your rodent take?

  What minimum winter temperature for a rodent? Thresholds by species, the hamster hibernation risk, room heating and how to winter-proof the nest.

• Hamster or gerbil for beginners? The honest comparison

  Hamster or gerbil as your first rodent? Daily rhythm, sociability, housing and budget: our comparison to choose the pet that truly fits your household.

• Wire cage or tank for a hamster: which should you choose?

  Wire cage or glass tank for a hamster? Bedding depth, ventilation, safety and price: our comparison to help you decide for your species.

• The 7 first-hamster mistakes (and how to avoid them)

  Tiny cage, mesh wheel, fluffy cotton, daytime wake-ups: the 7 most common mistakes with a first hamster and the right habits to avoid them.

• Colorful tube cages: why they are a bad idea

  Colorful plastic tube cages charm children but pile up flaws: ventilation, size, cleaning. Our analysis, plus alternatives at the same price.

• Fluffy cotton nesting for rodents: the hidden danger

  Cotton nesting fluff for hamsters, sold in pet shops, causes strangulation and intestinal blockages. Why it is dangerous and what to use instead for 0 €.

• Chinchilla or Chilean degu for beginners? The honest comparison

  Chinchilla or Chilean degu as a first exotic rodent? Daily rhythm, sociability, housing and budget: our comparison to help you pick the right companion.

• What Size Cage Does a Hamster Need? Minimum Dimensions and Traps to Avoid

  Minimum floor space, height, bars or acrylic: our advice for choosing a hamster cage that truly fits, far from the undersized models sold everywhere.

• Hideouts and Houses for Rodents: Which Materials to Choose?

  Solid wood, ceramic, woven grass or plastic: which materials to favour for the hideout of a hamster, gerbil or guinea pig.

Bedding & habitat by breed or species

• Syrian hamster
• Dwarf hamster
• Roborovski hamster
• Guinea pig
• Fancy rat
• Fancy mouse
• Gerbil
• Chinchilla
• Degu
• Siberian chipmunk