Meet my hamster

Lena’s home was a portable plastic box from Clas Ohlson. The plastic box was usually placed in the bathroom, due to Lena’s habit of exercising during the night. Lena didn’t like this plastic box very much and that was probably the reason why she came up with the brilliant idea to escape. 

The escape

When I noticed her escape plan – which was basically to dig through the plastic – I didn’t take it that seriously. When the digging days become weeks and a small hole started to emerge in one of the box corners, I realized that I definitely underestimated her. 

After several attempts to cover the escape hole – I used tape, books, fabrics, and I even tried to confuse her by rearranging her furniture – suddenly the hole was big enough for her to slip out. So, one day she escaped.

The timing was of course terrible. I was working on my bachelor project and basically just came home to sleep, which I know isn’t an excuse. But combined with the fact that I’m a terrible pet owner I couldn’t be bothered to have her running around the apartment as a free hamster. If she wanted to be free I’d let her. 

Finally at large Lena started to inhabit herself. She collected some of her belongings from the plastic box and spread them around the apartment. Sometimes she slept with all her stuff close to her, almost cuddling them, and sometimes she slept in my bed. She ripped off a piece of my curtains to use as a blanket. She shattered my favorite t-shirt. She gathered all her hamster food in a pile under my bed, until she spent a whole night moving everything to a corner of the bathroom instead. She still used her designated plastic toilette in her plastic box, but one time I noticed an attempt to move that one as well by trying to push it through the hole. 

She didn’t liked the friends I brought over, which she showed by attacking their feet when they used the bathroom (this was not appreciated by my friends). At one point one of my friends suggested that we’d meet somewhere else except at my place, because of Lena. I realized that this had gone too far.

A home

After all, I was studying architecture and spent a lot of time designing spatialities. For humans indeed, but why not hamsters. It was about time to build Lena a real home and get her locked up again. How do you design a home for a hamster that wants to be free? 

The initial design

I started with mapping Lena’s height, width and daily habits. Lena preferred to sleep in different, dark cozy spaces. She exercised in her hamster wheel several hours per day. She enjoyed sorting her food and moving it around. She preferred to have a stationary toilet. I also had a feeling that Lena was a free spirit and might appreciate a view. 

Process

A three-story house to Lena. Materials: plywood, plexiglass and organic asyr oil.

Final design

• Firstly, the smallest allowed cage size for a Siberian dwarf hamster is 40 cm x 20 cm x 25cm (LxWxH).
• The plexiglass gives Lena a full view of the room. I also get a full view of Lena and her future attempts to escape. 
• Ventilation was my biggest concern. The entire lid is perforated and laser-cut plywood for maximum airflow, but not large enough holes for another escape attempt. There are also breathing holes on the first floor, even the escape-proof ones. 
• The plexiglass (also with breathing holes) is attached with a magnetic lock so that the cage can be easily cleaned. 
• Behind the stairs, Lena has some ”privacy” – i.e. her toilet.
• She can climb up and down the cage.
• and sleeps like a baby in her dark bedroom. 
• The food is placed on the top floor so that it can be easily refilled.