Hamster Bedding Calculator

How Much Bedding Does A Hamster Need?

The amount of bedding a hamster needs depends upon its size. The amount of bedding you need to supply in order to reach the correct depth depends on the size of the hamster enclosure.

The optimal depth of hamster bedding is 15.7 – 31.4 inches. You can find out more about the study that provided this information and how to work with it in our hamster bedding article.

The calculator below will allow you to enter the length and width of the hamster enclosure along with the desired bedding depth you want for your hamster. We then calculate the total volume of bedding needed in order to meet those requirements. Then you go and buy the necessary amount of bedding for your needs. Simple!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the compressed vs uncompressed option?

Bedding comes either packaged loosely or in compressed blocks. Compressed beddings expand 2-3 times their packaged size when opened and fluffed. This means you will be buying a smaller size package of compressed bedding than the uncompressed equivalent.

If you plan to purchase a compressed package bedding, leave the default Compressed option selected. We’ll do the calculations for you.

Why is the depth automatically set to 15.7 inches?

The 15.7 inch depth in the calculator is set as the default depth for all calculations. You are free to change it to your desired hamster bedding depth.

We set the default hamster bedding depth to 15.7 inches since this is the minimal bedding depth recommended by the “The influence of bedding depth on behaviour in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)” paper published in the Applied Animal Behavior Science publication. Volume 100, Issues 3–4, November 2006, Pages 280-294

How can I calculate metric measurements for the hamster bedding calculator?

Great question. You can enter metric measurement, just understand that the calculated cubic inches will be a cubic unit of your measurement. i.e. enter centimeters and the cubic inches will actually be cubic centimeters. Therefore the Liter calculation will not be accurate.