The recommended minimum size for your hamster's cage is at least 18 inches (width) x 13 inches (height) x 25 inches (length), which is equal to 450 square inch floor space, which is the minimum for humanely housing a hamster of any type. The 13 inch height is to allows you to fit a 10-12 inch wheel for a Syrian hamster. However, bigger is always better, since your hamster will want plenty of space to run, climb, and play. Your hamster will also want to have separate areas to go to the bathroom, sleep, and store food, which will necessitate a very spacious cage. If you will be housing more than one hamster in the same cage, the cage will need to be even bigger to give each hamster plenty of room. A good guideline to follow is the minimum floor space times the number of hamsters to be put in the cage Some Dwarf hamsters can be housed together in pairs, but only in same-sex pairs to prevent breeding. Roborovski and Russian Campbells are the best hamsters to be housed in pairs. Keep in mind that Syrian hamsters are very territorial and should never be housed together. However, they can be housed near each other in separate cages, so long as they can't be disturbed by each others presence. So a rule of thumb should be to separate their cage by 4-6 inches. A poorly ventilated cage can lead to the build-up of ammonia, which is toxic to your hamster and can lead to respiratory problems. Poorly ventilated cages can also lead to bacterial growth, which could also make your hamster sick. Wire cages tend be very well ventilated, but aquariums and plastic hamster cages are often poorly ventilated. Your hamster may start to have trouble breathing if his aquarium or plastic cage is not well ventilated. If you notice that he is not breathing properly or looks unwell in general (not eating, playing as much or has physical signs of illness), consider cleaning his cage to remove soiled bedding. You may also want to consider purchasing a wire cage, that is of adequate size. You will need clean your hamster's cage once or twice a week depending on your cage, so you will want a cage that will not be too difficult to clean. Wire cages are probably the easiest type of cage to clean. Aquariums and plastic cages may need more frequent cleaning because of their poor ventilation, but this most likely won't be an issue if your cage is the minimum size or above. Plastic cages are the most difficult to clean, since they often have many different components, are multi-level, and have twists and turns that could be a challenge for you to reach. No matter which type of cage you have, it would be helpful to have a secondary, smaller cage that you can put your hamster in while you are cleaning his main cage or away travelling with your hamster. Your hamster's nails could get caught in a grated or wire floor, which often leads to foot injuries. Also, solid plastic floors are easier to clean than grated floors. If you have a Syrian hamster, you will likely be fine with any type of cage, as long as it is the minimum size or larger and has places for him to play, sleep, and eat. However, if you have a smaller species of hamster (i.e., Chinese, Dwarf), you will need to be more careful with the type of cage you choose. For example, you will need to pay special attention to the spacing between the wires of a wire cage (no more than 1/2 inch of spacing), since a tiny hamster could squeeze through those spaces. An aquarium or plastic cage may be better for your Chinese or dwarf hamster, since he would not be able to escape easily. The fact that your hamster's cage is an important investment does not mean that you have to find the most expensive one that you can find. Small wire cages tend to be inexpensive, but wire cages of the minimum size or more are extremely costly. Plastic cages are also expensive, and most of the time don't even come close to the minimum cage size. Aquariums or bin cages can usually be your best bet.

Summary: Select the right-sized cage for your hamster. Select a cage that is well ventilated. Choose a cage that is easy to clean. Choose a cage that has a solid plastic floor. Determine which cage type would be ideal for your species of hamster. Select a cage that fits your budget.

You can use a jar, ziplock bag, or any sealed container. If you develop symptoms within two weeks of the bite, take the jar with you to the doctor. The doctor can send the tick out for testing. If you want to save a tick for testing, do not squash it, burn it, or put it in alcohol. Simply put it in the container, and leave it until you are ready to test it. Medical testing can be expensive. Even if the tick carries a disease, it does not mean that you have been infected. Attach the tick onto a piece of paper with a sturdy piece of transparent tape, like packing tape. This will keep it contained until you can identify what type of tick it is. Different species are likely to carry certain diseases. If you become sick, this information can help your doctor make a diagnosis. You can bring it to the doctor or you can look up different species of ticks online to identify it yourself. Black-legged ticks are more likely to carry Lyme disease while lone star ticks and dog ticks can give you Rocky Mountain spotted fever. If you do not want to save the tick, kill it with alcohol. Fill a cup or bowl with rubbing alcohol, and dunk the tick inside. Leave it for several minutes. This will likely kill the tick. Just to be safe, you should avoid throwing out a tick in the trash. Instead, wrap it in a piece of toilet paper, and flush it down the toilet. This will ensure that the tick is safely out of your home. Next time you go outside, try to prevent ticks from latching onto you. There are many things you can do to reduce your chance of a tick bite. Apply an insect repellent containing DEET. If you have children, spray the repellent on for them. Use permethrin on all of your clothing and gear. This is usually available at outdoor stores. Check everyone for ticks after coming inside. Pay special attention to their arms, knees, waist, belly button, ears, and hair. Remember to check pets as well! After coming inside, put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for an hour to kill any ticks that might be hiding in your clothing. Light-colored clothing will let you see ticks more easily. Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and boots if possible. Tuck these into one another.
Summary: Put the tick in a secure container if you want to test it for disease. Tape the tick if you want to identify its species. Drown the tick in alcohol to kill it. Flush the tick down the toilet to get rid of it permanently. Use caution when you go outside to avoid ticks.