Cage accessories 

There are so many options of items to add to your hamster's enclosure- but which ones are safe?

Unsafe items

• 'Edible' hideouts. These are made from honey and sawdust which are not good for your hamster to digest
• Fabric hideouts. Your hamster will most likely chew this and parts of the fabric could get stuck in their food pouches
• Softwood hides. The hideouts with the dark bark on the outside are often stapled together, or even put together with nails, can leak resin and the entrances are often too small for a hamster to fit through. They can also easily splinter and injure your hamster 
• Bendy bridges. They usually have a lot of gaps in them, so feet could get trapped, but they can be made safe by filling the gaps with moss or paper bedding.

Safe items

• Cork logs. A great natural tunnel and a different texture in the enclosure 
• Bamboo root. They provide some shelter and are another natural texture 
• Grapevine wood. A great natural item and some hamsters may climb on this (make sure it's close to the ground)
• Natural tunnels. These are great because most hamsters love to use them and they provide a natural texture and something to walk through and hide in
• Ceramic hides. These are easy to clean and great for keeping hamsters cool during hot weather. Make sure there aren't any small gaps for their head to get stuck
• Coconut hides. These are a great natural hideout
• Multi chamber hideouts. These are extremely beneficial as they replicate hamster's burrow system 

Make sure the entrances for your hideouts are large enough. 5cm for Dwarfs and 7cm for Syrains