Further Hamster Heaven pics

[Catja]

Hi, here are some more pics I've just taken, with Kretchers in them to try and give a sense of scale. I think the best thing is the huge opening, trying to get Kretchers out of her cage was a nightmare, now she is straight up and out doing it all herself.

She is jumpy tonight and we are leaving her to get used to her new cage properly but she has been in her ball.

One of the quite good things is that Kretchers is using the top green bit to store her food and eat and wash. This means it is good for viewing the hamster and watching it empty its pouches but also lets you see really clearly what she has stashed away!

As you can see Kretchers has kindly agreed to demonstrate some of the key features including the food bowl and ladder options :D :D

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii131/catja_album/Ladder.jpg

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii131/catja_album/washing.jpg

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii131/catja_album/eating.jpg

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii131/catja_album/KTexiting.jpg

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii131/catja_album/hello.jpg

[pophammy]

Your hammy is gorgeous and the cage looks great, however I noticed in the 2nd pic that your ham has fluffy bedding. You should remove this straight away as it can block up the bowel or tangle round toes causing the blood circulation to be cut off. You are best to use the chipped paper 'J cloth' type bedding or ripped up toilet paper.

[Catja]

Hi yes this is a special sort of bedding supposedly that doesn't strand and is digestable so if the hamster eats it, it disolves before reaching the gut.

She mostly has the shredded bedding from pets@home as a base and a ball of the fluff on top, but every time we tried to remove the fluff she got upset and so we hunted high and low for the safe fluffy bedding.

We once had a wood mouse that caught a leg in the other type of fluffy bedding, he nearly died because he couldn't reach his water. (He had paralysed back legs and couldn't get them out) :cry:

[pophammy]

I personally wouldn't use it even if it says this but you probably know her best and it is your choice, so if you feel she would be happier with it that you can leave it. Lots of hamsters are fine with this bedding but I personally wouldn't use it. She looks very happy in her cage!

[Catja]

No, do take your point :) . We don't use it for the voles or the other hamster but Kretchers seems attached to it - not literally obviously!

But I try to be observant about it. She seems to use a piece of it as top cover over her head or to bung up a hole but not really to make a proper nest out of if that makes sense.

[Basia]

Aw she looks so gorgeous in there, she really is a pretty colour. I love the way the front opens up, it is really good for access. It does look a great cage, I wish I could afford 11 of them.

[Spuds Mum]

Thanks for this, and your other thread. we are always on the lookout for good homes for our hams and had wondered about this cage. It certainly looks an interesting home for Kretchers and seems to have plenty of room for even the largest hamster!
PS Kretchers is a very pretty girl.

[Holly]

The more I see it the more I like it 8)

[Catja]

My only reservation on it is, she seems to have gone mad and appears to have taken flinging herself off the roof to epic proportions.

She gave me a real fright tonight as she emerged from her bed with one eye shut and I thought oh my god she's injured her eye - this resulted in me being guilt ridden for 10 minutes, then she suddenly opened her eye and there was nothing wrong!!

I think maybe it is just allowing her to be energetic for once. She has not stopped climbing since we got it but has also been madly laying down her scent, rubbing herself up against everything.

So the upshot is, it seems to have invigorated her, she is racing round in her ball tonight like a mad woman, but it does give her more scope possibly to injure herself - or maybe I am just being like an over protective mother who won't let her kids out to play!

Thanks for the comments - I think she is a pretty hamster and lovely natured for a pet shop buy.

[Holly]

I think running around like a mad thing is normal for a hamster in a new cage - ours have always been a little lively when we've moved them but they soon settle down. I'm sure she can't believe her luck getting a palace like this :wink:

[Faye]

you have wood mice and voles!? :shock:

The cage looks great btw, does she use the upper tubing/compartment area much? :D

[Catja]

Hi, yes she uses the tubing all the time, especially as she has decided the upstairs loft is where she is going to store her food. She can only get to this via her tubes which run from the yellow deck up and out of the cage and then back in and across the roof and up into the green bit.

The voles is a long story!

[Catja]

Just as an aside, as you know Algy was in the Ovo Suite, well we moved him into Kretchers old cage and I don't know if I am just imagining it but he seems alot happier. Last night he was out and about climbing his tubes and has now started to put some of his food in his pouches to take home, where as before he was disinterested in most of his food.

It is harder to get him out of this cage than the ovo suite but when I finally got him out last night, he ran hand to hand for about 15 minutes and seemed quite contented. The biting has stopped and so has most of the clicking

[Holly]

I'm sure it isn't your imagination - being in that lovely roomy cage compared to the Ovo must feel fantastic. Shame all those people who will go out and buy the Ovo in the coming year can't read your posts :roll:

[Basia]

That's great news Catja :D

[Catja]

Having had the Ovo suite and the extensions and the tower but still been really unhappy, (I was feeling claustraphobic for my hammy never mind him), I am definitely anti Ovo for Syrians.

I am not sure if this cage would suit anything to be honest, possibly mice maybe?

I read on another forum a post from someone asking about the Ovo but receiving an answer saying no not for Syrians, to which they replied think I will ignore the reply and get it anyway cos it looks good.

Which I guess sums up the slick marketing :cry: