Syrian hamster cages come in three types just like dwarf hamster cages:
Syrian hamsters like to climb and wire cages provide an ideal opportunity for climbing especially if your cage is a multi-level cage providing different platforms — great for exercise and exploration.
Plastic modular cages also allow hamsters to climb though climbing opportunities are fewer and limited to the tunnels connecting different chambers and pods.
Glass hamster cages offer your pet no chance of climbing unless you add suitable equipment such as ladders, platforms and other toys. If you're going for a glass hamster cage make sure it has a secure mesh lid — your hamster will try to escape if it can using whatever's in the cage to climb up to the top.
Syrian hamsters like to climb and multi-level wire mesh cages are generally taller and are great for climbers. However taller cages can create a big drop for your hamster who may end up with an injury if falling a long way.
The best multi-level cages have floors that cover most of the area of each level to prevent big falls.
Syrian hamsters enjoy exploring different levels and will usually find different places around the cage for things like eating, nest building and storing food.
Syrian hamster cages need to be big enough to be able to add a wheel big enough for your hamster to exercise without having to arch its back excessively.
Syrian hamsters grow much bigger than dwarf hamsters and require a larger wheel — the largest wheels are 8 inches in diameter so your cage needs to be large enough, and have a suitable layout.
Many wheels supplied with hamster cages are too small for fully-grown adult Syrian hamsters. Avoid wheels that don't have a solid surface for your hamster to run on as the hamsters limbs can fall through the gaps between rungs and can result in fractures and other injuries.
It’s important to make sure that catches and clips fasten any doors and cage sections securely as Syrian hamsters are surprisingly strong and often find a way to escape from poorly secured cages.
Wire mesh cages usually have a single door in the side and/or a door in the roof of the cage. The doors of a wire cage are usually secured by way of a wire lip or catch which ideally should be of a good size to wrap right around the bar that it fits around.
Glass hamster cages usually come with a close-fitting and easily secured lid that fits right over the entire top of the cage.
Plastic modular cages often have plastic doors in the roof of the main section which can sometimes be pushed open so make sure there's a snug fit with these types of cages.
Wire mesh cages are generally very easy to keep clean as the whole wire cage section sits on top of a plastic tray. The wire section can often be lifted off the tray for quick & easy cleaning. If going for a wire mesh cage try and pick a cage with a deep tray which will help stop your hamster kicking his bedding and food out through the bars.
Glass hamster cages are pretty straightforward when it comes to cleaning as they're easy to access and secure lids are easily removed. The one drawback is that some glass hamster cages can be heavey and so are difficult to move.
Plastic modular hamster cages are perhaps the trickiest to clean as they often need to be taken apart in order to do a really thorough job.