New member, cage question

[sthomas048]

Hello. Ive just joined the forum. :D I have a very big, designed for rabbits/guinea pigs cage. The cage has a 2cm gap between the bars, is this too much of a gap for a Syrian ? This is a great forum lots of nice folks and helpful info.

Stephen.

[souffle]

Yes 2cm in too large a gap. You could cover the bars with fine mesh but would have to secure every gap. They can get through amazingly small holes, even syrians!
Welcome to the forum :lol:

[sthomas048]

Okay thanks. I have a 18x18x18 inch tank, (one of these - http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-details/stkcode/669162.html ) would this be okay for 1 Syrian ? Sorry for another question ! :oops:

Stephen.

[Holly]

Hi and welcome to the forum :)

Do you mean 18cm or 18 inches?

If it's cm's (which I don't think you possibly could mean as it's tiny!) then no way, it's far too small - like the size of a travel cage.

18 inches is 46cm - now 46cm x 46cm x 46 cm isn't a really bad size for a hamster - there are smaller commercial cages out there, sadly - but I expect you'll find most people here wouldn't use a cage that size for their hamsters as hammies do best in a spacious cage.

To give you an idea of what is a good size many of us here like the:

Gabber Rex: 71cm x 45 cm x 26cm (height)

Savic Cambridge: 62cm x 36 cm x 43 cm

Zoozone 2: 100cm x 51cm (not sure of height).


There are loads of threads here about cages and the pros/cons of each type.

Going back to your Guinea Pig cage - is it the type with a base and then bars all over or is it a tank type that just has bars in the roof? If it's the latter it could make a fantastic hamster home if you just cover the roof bars with 1cm mesh (from Wilko's or a garden centre) and zip tie it on.

[sthomas048]

Hello Holly,

So unfortunately im down on two counts ! :( My guinea pig cage is one with a base with bars all over. Im just trying to be a pound-strectcher trying to save money, but id want my hamster to be happy, number one priority, so now i will take a look at the cages you have mentioned. My 18x18x18 inch tank is let down by its length isnt it ?

Thanks very much.

Stephen.

[Basia]

If you're on a budget, the Wilkinson rat cage is a good size and reasonable price at £22. It also comes with a large wheel suitable for a syrian. I would probably add some shelves to it but if you are handy you could make some wooden shelves.

[Spuds Mum]

The terrarium isn't such a bad idea in theory Stephen, I have geckos in one of these and know they aren't a bad size if you took the height into account, but I would want to put a shelf or another level into it and I am not too sure that it would be easy to do in this.
But looking at saving money is always good! Too many cages seem to be a lot of money for 'gimmicks' and not very much (there's always lots of discussion about this on the forum) I would try not to be swayed by these things when looking at a hamster home (when I say try not to - that is somehting I've learned from hard experience)
If you really would like to save money and make a good sized hamster home - you could try making a 'tub' cage. Lots of people do nowadays - and they can be really impressive with lots of hamster space and interest.
The forum has advice on how to do this! http://www.hamstercentral.com/user.php?action=viewArticle&a=18

[Holly]

The other place for cheap cages is......ebay :wink:

If you research them carefully and scour the pages (the best bargains generally aren't advertised by name so you need to know what you are looking for) you can get a bargain - I got a Savic Cambridge, brand new, for a fiver a couple of weeks ago. They cost 40 quid in P@H!

But I'd agree with both Basia and Spud's Mum - the Wilko's Rat Cage looks great for a hamster and if you are a bit handy there are a ton of articles on mmaking bin cages on the net :)

Good luck!

[sthomas048]

Thanks v much to you all. :)

Well im not a diy man at all. No shelves in our house. Basia - I dont think there is a Wilkinsons in Cardiff, do you know if they have a website ? Spuds Mum - Maybe i could do my best to make this terrarium i have a happy home until im ready to go for a Gabber Rex cage ? Holly - Im a big Ebay fan too, always worth looking through.


Stephen.

[Basia]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=002 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120165095422&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=002)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=013 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230175627853&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013)

Ready-made shelves! That is what I would use. There is a Wilkinsons in Abergavenny and one in Pontypool. I have to go to the one in Abergavenny because we don't have one in Hereford either.
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/

[Spuds Mum]

If you have a really good glazier you could maybe get them to make some triangular/rectangular glass shelves that could be silicon sealed into the corners of the terrarium, then use tubes to give the hamster access from one level to another - of course you would need to make sure they rounded all of the visible edges - just an idea this is the sort of thing I mean
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HUGE-GLASS-RODENT-TANK-GERBIL-RAT-HAMSTER-VIVARIUM-PET_W0QQitemZ130156522356QQihZ003QQcategoryZ116889 QQcmdZViewItem
a couple of shelves would increase the floor space dramatically!

[sthomas048]

Thanks Basia, Spuds Mum. I am leaning towards a tank rather than a cage, one thing I have learned from my past hamster experience is the little creatures can become addicted to biting the bars on a cage. :? That terrarium on Ebay looks awesome doesnt it, I will have to investigate that idea definately, thinking. You are all being a great help. Cheers ! :D


Stephen.

[Basia]

It does indeed look awsome. I have a problem lifting glass tanks though, they can be quite heavy. (My other hobby is tropical fish)
If you are worried about bar chewing you can't go far wrong with the gabber rex. I have 3 of them and they are sooo easy to clean out and big enough for hammies to run in.

[Spuds Mum]

Yup on here we certainly love our Gabber (Montagna) Rex cages. I only found them recently via some advice on this forum - and previously must have spent hundreds of pounds on other cages :cry:
Basia is right about one thing - glass cages are heavier for carrying when cleaning - but the advantage of the terrarium if it is exxaterra, like the one inthe picture is that it has wide front openings so easier to get in and out of for cleaning (added bonus - easier than many cages to get your hamster out too!)

[babyboos]

Savic have a new bigger cage in P@H for £65, incorporating the size of the Cambridge, tubes and ladders etc. Looked great size and shape but woweeee expensive.

[Holly]

Savic have a new bigger cage in P@H for £65, incorporating the size of the Cambridge, tubes and ladders etc. Looked great size and shape but woweeee expensive.

We've all (well ....me, really!) been getting quite excited about it, babyboos:

http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2263 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2263)

I love it ....unfortunately so does Will ...and he wants one for the baby he's keeping from our litter ( :shock: )

I'd best get saving then!!!!!

[souffle]

A christmas present Will? :wink: :wink: :wink:
The only thing that would worry me is if I bought this and then got a bar chewer :shock:
The care is not just hamster heaven it is also bar chewer heaven! :cry: