Earmarked Hamster Homes...

[Jill Bayles]

Well Aidan and me have landed back home from Harrogate and given that we've now well and truly got the "hammy-bug" have begun the search for the habitat for our Syrian hamster and we like these:

http://www.pets2home.co.uk/shop/media/images/product_detail/511621.jpg
http://www.pawsetc.co.uk/uploads/images_versions_large/1625.jpg

Top one is a FOP Charlie Prestige 75 x 47 x 33 £60 now £29.99 (Pets2Home)
Bottom one is a Rydon Mill House 546mm x 376mm x 274mm £19.99 (Pawsetc)

I've read all the threads on here and have taken on board all that has been said, along with the advice that Pophammy and Souffle gave me today at Harrogate...thanks girls and lovely to meet you both, and also Cathy, bless her!

Aidan has had an input into the choice and I've explained to him the virtues of this type of cage and he now understands that Rotostack etc may look great but may not be best for "Buster" (that's the name he's chosen, it varies intermittently between that and "Hammy"....think it may well become "Buster Hammy" as in Christian name and Surname)!

Any input that you can have into the above choices would be both welcomed and appreciated.

[suga]

I personally have one similiar to the blue based one. I have had a cage in the past with tubes, but wasn't over impressed with them. These types of cages are good for keeping hamster and hamster mess inside the cage, but can I find, make it more challenging for interaction.

[Jill Bayles]

That bit on the top of the top pic is giving me some cause for concern...is it a tube for crawling? If so it looks rather thin...think a hamster could get stuck in there! Not good!

[racinghamster]

Hi Jill. There are cages called `Critter` cages that are all metal and are bigger! You will find these on ebay in the Chinchilla and Rat sections. They vary in price but can be picked up second hand sometimes.

They are basically a metal base with a coated square wire top and a lid that opens fully up. It closes with strong spring clips.

I think the two tanks you featured are too small for a Syrian, although the first cage is big! The tubes would probably be too narrow aswell and I would be inclined to take them off and block the holes in the lid and use the tubes in a play pen? The Gabber Rex would be far bigger and again, is a perspex tank. However I realise you have to go with what`s conveniently available. A baby Syrian would be fine in one of these until it grew up, so maybe you could look into a larger cage then. I have a single winter white russian dwarf in a Ferplast Duna tank and although it does the job, I would like him in something bigger because they do run around a lot! :lol:

So yes, I would say the top cage because of it`s size and the water bottle is on the outside of the cage! It won`t get chewed. x

[Jill Bayles]

I know about the Gabber Rex but couldn't find one!
I'm not sure if there are variations on the Rydon Mill House but that's the only one I could find.
I'll have a look at those Critter cages too!
I don't know why it's so difficult to find decent sized tank-type cages...tsk!
The search continues in earnest and it won't stop until I find the right one!

[pophammy]

Our hamster Red is kept in a Mill house from Rydon and she loves it! It is a fine size. Also, if the Gabber Rex would be too big for you there is another version called the Gabber Lux, which is slightly bigger than the millhouse from Rydon but smaller than a Gabber Rex. We keep our hamster Sonni in one of them, and it is fine for her. Here is a link to one on Ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gabber-Criceto-Lu ... dZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gabber-Criceto-Lux-Blue-Hamster-Gerbil-Mice-Cage_W0QQitemZ180077803569QQihZ008QQcategoryZ1286Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

We find them, like the Gabber rex, great, though the holes at the going under the two platforms look quite small, so we cut them bigger.

[Jill Bayles]

I saw the Lux and the Rex this morning during my continued search and here's a pic of the Rex, size is 71 x 45 x 29:

http://i4.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/87/4e/031c_1_b.JPG

I hadn't made that connection with Gabber.

Now we're talking!

The Rex is similar to the Lux except bigger. Rex it is then...search ended!

[SnuggleHam]

Jeez, you guys have some nice hamster cages over there in the UK! *stomps foot and pouts* :cry:

[suga]

Aww snuggleham .....

[Jill Bayles]

Nice but boy are they hard to find! I've spent hours and hours searching for these :roll: :wink: :lol:

[souffle]

The rex is perfect. Go for it. The are hard to come by but worth it. Sometimes listed under criceto rex. You may need a bigger wheel when the hammy grows but the Savic Jumbo rolly rat wheel fits in the space for the wheel just fine :lol:

[Jill Bayles]

During my search I also found these:

http://www.premierpetsonline.com/asps/uploads/big/3042-1.jpg
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/shop_dev/assets/new_product_images//hagen/zoozone1_cage.jpg

Top one is a Ferplast Duna Maxi, size 99 x 51.5 x 37 and costs £75.36. It's designed for rabbits and guinea pigs though and IMO it's a bit too big for little hammy!

Bottom one is a Hagen Zoozone Critter Pen, it also comes in grey and is 71 x 46 x 31 but no "inners". It costs £35.19 reduced from £43.99.

I figured that it's better to get the accessories thrown in to start us off so am still liking the Rex best.

I liked this one too but it's out of stock:

http://www.pets2home.co.uk/shop/media/images/product_detail/574826.jpg

That's a Ferplast Duna Hamster which sells at £50.99.

I think that there's a bit of a gap in the market when it comes to the tank cage. There are plenty of wire topped cages to be had although I must say that they don't appeal to me from either the safety or the mess aspect and given that I suffer from COD when it comes to domesticity then the latter is to be avoided at all costs! Thankfully that's under control since Aidan came along but I can safely say that hammy's cage will be cleaned out weekly and of course I'll be putting some of the old bedding back in so hammy's scent is there...you see I'm learning quickly :lol:

The best bit about the Rex next to size is the price...£21 but the postage costs are £8...still a bargain IMO so I'm going for it!

[souffle]

Yes the rex is best. Our friend has the duna and the wheel is too small for a syrian and also its not so big. Im sure the rex will be great. Easy access also and no need for a nest box. put the bedding under one end of what we call the enchanted corridor!

[SnuggleHam]

Wow! that one with the rabbits in it must be about the size of my bin cages! and the way its made would make it the perfect living space for a hamster! Lots of nice room!

[Hana]

If you are looking for a rex there is one on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Criceto-Gabber-La ... dZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Criceto-Gabber-Large-Hamster-Gerbil-Mice-Cage-GREEN_W0QQitemZ180077804837QQihZ008QQcategoryZ1286 QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem)

I know what you mean about them being hard to find, I'm hopefully going to get a white and pink gabber rex when I get some robos in the future.

Also I see they sell them here, don't know what the site is like though, it seems to have some good cages on it:

http://www.petcentreonline.co.uk/ecomme ... ct~568.htm (http://www.petcentreonline.co.uk/ecommerce/Scripts/prodView~idproduct~568.htm)

If you get one from that second website tell me what they are like because I might get mine from there.
Hope that helped I love these gabber rexes! :lol:

[Jill Bayles]

The Gabber Rex I've seen is on E bay but with a different seller. It's £24 not £21 and postage costs are £8 making it slightly cheaper. But yikes, I'm having difficulty making payment for the order so I've had to contact Paypal about that. I hope they sort it out quickly as I've had a call tonight about our hammy and she'll be here in a week :!: but can delay if necessary :cry:

We're both very excited about it all and are going to the pet shop tomorrow to buy all the other peripherals for hammy :)

If the worst comes to the worst I'll have to buy with postal orders :!:

[racinghamster]

You`ve made a fabulous decision with the Gabber Rex cage! I hope Paypal don`t mess things up. :evil: Tell the seller you need the cage as soon as possible and I`m sure they will oblige. I saw the cage on ebay too, but don`t need one now.

Your wee hamster is going to love you! :)

Just as an afterthought, Petcentreonline are a fabulous company for anyone wishing to use them. I`ve ordered from them three times online and over the phone and they are great. So don`t be afraid to use them. Customer service is very good.

[souffle]

Those are the people I got mine from. I had no trouble with paypal and it was here in three days by courier. Leave a note on your door if you are going out and they will leave it in a safe spot so you dont need to rearrange delivery. Looking forward to meeting Hammy :lol:

[Jill Bayles]

I've sorted out my payment problem, contacted the seller and the Rex will be winging its way here shortly and hopefully in good time for the weekend! My credit card details needed updating and once I'd done that the payment went through without problem.

I'm now going to sort out some shavings and food and I'm going to try and continue with the food that Cathy has been using...will they be feeding on solids at 8 weeks? Questions questions...

My local pet shop will order food in so that's good to know.

The exercise ball is in hand so we're getting there...

[Holly]

I've been following your story in this and your other thread, Jill - just to say congratulations on your new additions :)

We've had our three Syrian hamsters since the end of December and I remember how excited we were - and still are every day when they get up and come out to play! My son is 9 and getting the hamsters has been so good for him, he's so careful with them and he takes his resposibilites very seriously - as well as having a huge amount of fun with them :)

Your Gabber Rex cage looks wonderful - as we are possibly thinking of getting a fourth hamster in the not too distant future I wondered if I could ask those who've already got this cage a couple of questions (not to hijack your thread Jill!)

- Would this cage be suitable as a home for a female who might possibly be bred from at some stage? Is it a sutable home for the babies to be born in? (If we do get another hamster I'm hoping to get one from a breeder with a known genetic history just in case - and it's a big if - we decide to breed).


- Where/how do you attach a water bottle??!

[souffle]

The rex is very suitable for babies to be born in. All ours are! We leave the corridor bit in and the babies are born in there. We remove the wheel from the cage before the birth just in case a tiny gets trapped under it. We never remove the corridor as it can disturb mum but by about 8 days the babies come out the door anyway and mum usually drags them back in!
If you look at this thread you can see how our bottle is attached. There is a hole in the clear plastic bit that you push the spout through. When we had babies we drilled another lower hole in the tray part as they are too small to reach it at first. After about 4 wks they could reach the top spout level. We use an elastic band to hold it it place :lol: http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... php?t=1354 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1354)

Here are our last babies coming out the door
http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... efe97f3855 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9027&sid=d10f8893dbfe69dbd7fb50efe97f3855)

[souffle]

Just noticed the food question. Oh my goodness they have been on solids since about 8 days ish You hear them nibbling in the nest! Feed normal hamster food and for youngsters extra protein as in a tiny bit of chicken, egg, tofu plus little bits of fruit (non citrus) and veg but not too much.

[Hana]

Glad to hear pet centre online is a good company! :D

[Holly]

The rex is very suitable for babies to be born in. All ours are! We leave the corridor bit in and the babies are born in there. We remove the wheel from the cage before the birth just in case a tiny gets trapped under it. We never remove the corridor as it can disturb mum but by about 8 days the babies come out the door anyway and mum usually drags them back in!

Thanks Souffle (oh look, I've started saying that on this forum as well :wink: ), we'll definitely look at the Gabber Rex for our next hamster (oops I'm talking like we'll definitely be getting one :shock: ) as I won't buy any more Rotastak cages - the fact that I needed to buy additional cages to accommodate large enough wheels almost immediately has put me off Rotastak :roll: ...I'm just wondering how I'd add an additional cage to the Gabber if required, but I'll figure that out later!

It looks like a great cage, Jill 8)

[souffle]

Holly your hamsters are spoilt :lol: You dont need to add a bit to a Gabber rex as they are plenty big enough for a large syrian! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Holly]

Holly your hamsters are spoilt :lol: You dont need to add a bit to a Gabber rex as they are plenty big enough for a large syrian! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I think you are quite right, Souffle - as usual! It's just that I was thinking what will the new ham think when she sees the size of the other hams' cages!!! :oops: (In reality, of course, she never will as her eyesight will be as bad as all hamsters - and she will most likely live in a separate room to the others anyway :wink: ).

I actually went into a petshop this morning and saw a Gabber Rex in the plastic, as it were - they are MASSIVE, definitely a good choice and definitely what we'll go for when...er..if... there's a next time 8)