Zoozones and Waterbottles!

[Demecat]

The waterbottles on my zoozones rattle terribly and when the hamsters decide to chew on them, the sound is horrendous! The hamsters live in my bedroom. so you can imagine what a lovely outcome that is!

I was awake one night (rattling wasn't allowing me to sleep) when I had an idea.

The next day, I took some thick cardboard, like that on delivery boxes, cut it into a small square then pierced a hole with a pencil. I slid the water nozzle through the hole, then reattatched the bottle.

It reduced the noise greatly and actually seemed to discourage one of my hamsters from gnawing his bottle!

http://i44.tinypic.com/357nhxs.jpg

[Hamtastic]

This is a big reason I use water bowls now!

[NotsoLittleOlive]

You did well to have a successful brainwave when you'd been woken up :P
If only had ideas like that which would stop my stupid wodent wheel rattling

[StarlightSerenity]

Hehehe I have night time brain waves too :D Thing is, I tend to forget them by morning >.<

[Demecat]

I was reminded by the arrival of my Karlie wheel and seeing the box it came in...

BTW that wheel is HHHHHHHHUUUUUUGGGGEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

[StarlightSerenity]

lol what size is it?? I've never seen a Karlie in real life, what are they like? Quality etc?

[Demecat]

You did well to have a successful brainwave when you'd been woken up :P
If only had ideas like that which would stop my stupid wodent wheel rattling

hmm could you fit some cardboard in the rattling gap? lol

[souffle]

We have done similar and put a shaped piece of sponge behind the bottle to stop it rattling against the cage. If you put the minimal spout through there is less for them to chomp on!

[Demecat]

funnily enough, Messy goes for the plastic/metal join and the cardboard stops him reaching that!

[WandaWigglebottom]

whats holding your bottle onto thecage?

[Demecat]

The wire bit that comes with the bottle acts as something I can tie the wool I wrap around the bottle to.

[leedsgurl]

I've also used cardboard, but just wrapped a bit around the spout so not as much pokes though (as souffle says, not as much to chomp on!)

Regarding rattly wodent wheels, we took ours apart, and wrapped a thin piece of masking tape around where the spindle touches the wheel (just one layer) and it stopped it completely. We also had a propblem with Dexter knocking his over, so we used cable ties to tie it to the ceiling :D

[WandaWigglebottom]

im going to sound daft could you get a photo of how youve done it?, im having difficulty of mine i made an elastic strap to hold it in but i cant see it lsating long :/

[Demecat]

I do use the larger water bottles (ones ment for guinea pigs/rabbits).

here you go...

http://i43.tinypic.com/6teh6c.jpg

[Gizmodo ^_^]

Luckily none of my hammies really chew the water bottle
Gizmo used to attack hers like a mortal foe though!

[WandaWigglebottom]

thankyou :), do you need a little step for them to reach or do they reach ok?

[Demecat]

in the zz1 Rory reaches hs fine. In the zz2, it's too high for Messy. I use one of those large bendy logs as a ramp to reach it.

[racinghamster]

Great ideas everyone. Anyone who has a bottle spout that is a bit high up for a smaller hamster or an elderly/ill hamster, can take a few strips of pine shelving (any pine will do - off-cuts from shelves or other bits and bobs) and place these directly under the spout. Making sure the wood is long and flat, not just little blocks that can`t really be balanced on easily. I would say six inches long at least. Cover the wood with shavings/substrate and that`s it. :) A simple `rise` to the bottle without it seeming like a block of wood or a bridge. If one piece isn`t high enough, just stagger more on top until you get the height desired, then cover with substrate. Safe for hamster to chew aswell if they discover the solid pine. I sand down any edges just to smooth these off, but unless the wood seems splintery, it`s not necessary.

[WandaWigglebottom]

thanks guys this has worked a treat for me :)

[louisbs]

I used velcro to stick the bottle inside my ZZ2.
Pixie wouldn't leave it alone before.. Maybe she was trying to get to the hole.
I taped cardboard over the hole on the outside and now she leaves it alone :)

[gellerbing]

thankfully coco doesnt chew her bottle anymore, it did bang a bit though so i stuck velcro behind the bottle (her bottle is inside the cage)

[CoolcatNatNat44]

Nibbles chews his water bottle from time to time and omg doesnt it make so much noise! I had to move his cage to a different room its that loud. Honeydo used to chew her water bottle hole but i took it out and stuck a piece of puzzle playground over it. Now she has a water bowl :D