Hamster Central - View Single Post

alanjamesblair · 09-13-2012, 02:53 AM

I'd love some advice on this. I just build my first bin for my first hamster, a Syrian male. He's a sweetheart. I knew as soon as we got home that the store-bought "hamster cage" I had on hand was too small, then I googled "DIY Hamster Cages," found this tutorial (Bin Cages - DIY Hamster!) which linked me to this site. Once I started reading up on cages, I really got the itch to break my hammy out of that take-out box they call a home.

So anyway, I made a bin cage out of a 100 liter bin, put in a little second-level and fit the spinner onto the side, got the mesh lid filed off and held in with plastic ties, and everything is fine. But two things are bothering me that I want to clear through you guys before I let Magellan have a go in his new home.

1) I used 100 pure silicone to secure the second layer/shelf. Is this a concern? Do hamsters try to ingest silicone? The job is pretty slick as I've been forced to fix up aquariums before, but thoughts?

2) I rigged up a ladder to the second-story from bamboo. Then I thought, "wait, will Maggie try to eat nibble this and WHEN he does, is bamboo a bad chew toy? I've seen sticks at sale in the stores but bamboo is pretty fibrous, so I wanted to check it out with you guys.

I am sorry. I tried to take pics but my camera (phone) is rather dreadful and my photography skills are even worse.

Best.

09-13-2012, 02:53 AM
alanjamesblair Adult Hamster Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: United States Posts: 281	Re: Mosrael's Cage / Bin Cage Tutorial I'd love some advice on this. I just build my first bin for my first hamster, a Syrian male. He's a sweetheart. I knew as soon as we got home that the store-bought "hamster cage" I had on hand was too small, then I googled "DIY Hamster Cages," found this tutorial (Bin Cages - DIY Hamster!) which linked me to this site. Once I started reading up on cages, I really got the itch to break my hammy out of that take-out box they call a home. So anyway, I made a bin cage out of a 100 liter bin, put in a little second-level and fit the spinner onto the side, got the mesh lid filed off and held in with plastic ties, and everything is fine. But two things are bothering me that I want to clear through you guys before I let Magellan have a go in his new home. 1) I used 100 pure silicone to secure the second layer/shelf. Is this a concern? Do hamsters try to ingest silicone? The job is pretty slick as I've been forced to fix up aquariums before, but thoughts? 2) I rigged up a ladder to the second-story from bamboo. Then I thought, "wait, will Maggie try to eat nibble this and WHEN he does, is bamboo a bad chew toy? I've seen sticks at sale in the stores but bamboo is pretty fibrous, so I wanted to check it out with you guys. I am sorry. I tried to take pics but my camera (phone) is rather dreadful and my photography skills are even worse. Best.