View Single Post
Old 01-04-2014, 02:14 PM  
hiccup
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 52
Lightbulb

Just thought I'd make a thread with ideas for what to do with water bottles in bin cages (or with numbers 1, 2, 5 and 7, with tanks), and then others can add their own if they have them. I think bin cages are absolutely brilliant, so I want to help people who are stuck on this aspect of them so it doesn't put them off!


{1} Firstly, what I do personally is use this savic rolly stand (Rolly Stand Only (for Rolly & Rolly Large Hamster Wheel) 15.5x10x15cm: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies) to clip my water bottle to. I use it with one of the clips you can see in the picture below (this is a picture from google but I believe it is a savic biba or something along those lines), and I basically clip the clip (ha) onto the stand as the stand essentially provides a small area of cage wire. I think it could work with the length of wire too?
image.jpg


{2} Secondly, lots of people just use the yellow play cube from pets at home (Small Animal Hide and Seek Cube by Pets At Home | Pets at Home) to hold their water bottle by slotting it into the top hole and letting the spout stick out from one of the side ones. This looks quite sturdy and chewable for the hamster, although some people worry about how low the spout is.


{3} Some people simply mesh a side, as you do with the lid for ventilation (cut out a large area, and fit mesh onto the hole created) and then you can attach the bottle to this as you would in any wire cage.


{4} Another idea is different and is better in a way since the bottle is outside the cage and therefore cannot be chewed. The idea is to drill two holes on the side of the cage to attach the bottle perhaps with the wire or maybe some string and then drill another hole, lower down, for the spout to come through. With this method, you have to be careful that your hamster doesn't enlarge the holes you've made.


{5} Some people simply use Velcro; some on the cage, some on the bottle, to attach theirs. I've even seen people using tape, but this is a hassle and it isn't really safe for the hamster.


{6} I'm not too sure about this one but apparently with some ferplast bottles they come with 'sucker' type things made especially for this sort of thing, so you could use this outside and just drill a hole for the spout or maybe just stick it straight inside, turning the bottle around so the spout faces inwards, although this presents a chewing risk.


{7} A great idea I came across today can be found on this post from back in 2011: How to attach water bottle in bin cage??? (and there's even a picture of the yellow cube in use!) and this is the bottle one. The picture is on the first and only page of the linked thread and shows how you can use the bottom of some sort of large plastic bottle with a hole for the spout, weighed down. I used something similar to this once, but I used the bottom section of a huge, thick cardboard tube I received a poster in from amazon.

{8} Here's another idea I just found on google. The picture (attached below) demonstrates the DIY idea of using cable ties to attach the bottle to a suction cup, attaching to the outside of the bin, and drilling a hole for the spout.

Sorry for how long this is! Hope I helped. Please please please feel free to add your own ideas and pictures to demonstrate how you do it!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg image.jpg (33.5 KB, 325 views)

Last edited by Vectis Hamstery; 01-05-2014 at 04:17 AM.
hiccup is offline   Reply With Quote