Our Story & Values
Our Mission
We’re here to improve the welfare of small animals by designing better habitats and educating their owners.
Our Story
Habitat Homies began as a senior design project by our founder, Evan, who set out to create better toys for Hamsters as many products were unsafe, hard to clean, and not suited to natural behaviors.
Our first tester was Ninja, an energetic and mischievous Syrian hamster. He broke many of the initial designs
Through testing & deeper research into small animal housing, we learned that almost all pets have the same basic requirements, which is known as the five freedoms of animal welfare. These include the freedom to express natural behavior and the freedom from fear and distress, both of which proper housing directly supports.
Because many small animals have similar care needs, we naturally began expanding our lineup to cover more critters.
What We Stand For
Pet Well-being and Safety
All of our products that come into direct contact with pets are chew-safe & aquatic safe (full material data). Since we can’t control the environment each product goes into, everything we make is built for cross-compatibility.
Innovation
We design and 3D print most products in-house, which means we can adapt and improve quickly. Our lineup evolves constantly as we tailor new designs for specific species and needs.
Community-Driven
We partner with small pet owners, sanctuaries, and rescues to get feedback and refine our products. We also attend 4-6 exotic pet expos a year to meet owners face-to-face and learn how we can help (Where to find us)
Research-Based
We publish articles backed by the latest species-specific research. Every product we create follows up-to-date guidance on enrichment, habitat needs, and welfare best practices
Education
We’re building a growing library of well-researched care guides, tips, and habitat setups for the species we serve. Every guide is written by real researchers and includes properly cited sources. We also share this information at the expos we attend to help educate and support pet owners. (Articles)
