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View Full Version : Rosewood Abode or Ferplast Favola for my Dwarfs?


londonhamster
04-05-2012, 11:21 AM
I have been looking at so many cages to choose the best one for me and have narrowed it down to two that I really like. They will be for two new Dwarf's which I am looking to buy this weekend.

The Rosewood Abode:
Rosewood — Catalogue Product (http://www.rosewoodpet.com/catalogue/detail.aspx?pid=33789&gid=41468&pg=QkQrBjcct8jrU43H%2bdWY8A%3d%3d)


The Ferplast Favola:
modular cage for hamsters, Cages For hamsters Favola manufacturer shop - FERPLAST (http://www.ferplast.com/scheda_prodotto_eng.php/prodotto=modular_cage_for_hamsters-for-hamsters-cages-rodents-favola/id_menu=04010109/frm_pagina=1)


To me both are stylish, contemporary looking, neat, easy to maintain and allow full view of my hamsters.

Both cages are of a similar size and I like the fact that there is a second level. Which of the two would you prefer/recommend?

Please let me know!

thanks :D

KatiePillow
04-05-2012, 11:24 AM
Of the two the favola looks better, but I'd probably not use the included level, and allow the hamster to walk on the bedding, as long as there are things like bowls etc on the substrate, they won't cave in.
But an aquarium would be larger and easier to aquire (just because it's a fairly thin cage, but aquariums of the same width tend to be 10-15 cm longer)

Lougarry
04-05-2012, 12:45 PM
I agree that the look of the Abode is nice, but neither of these cages meet the RSPCA minimum dimensions. I would opt for something bigger if I had the choice.

Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters
04-05-2012, 01:08 PM
Hmm, I don't really like either cages mostly because of their sizes. They are both really tiny :( The abode is bright and colourful which is nice but again I would be put off by the size as its too small for one dwarf let alone two :/

Why not search around the housing forum here to check out some much better cages :) The minimum size for two hams is 70x40cm (LxW)

Kissa
04-05-2012, 01:37 PM
Neither, they're both too small! If you're looking for something that means you can see them, why not get a tank?

MommaHammie
04-05-2012, 02:17 PM
I saw that Rosewood Abode on ebay today and thought..."WHY WAS THIS MADE?!" It's super small. The Favola is a wee bit better but still quite small. When you think about getting cages, think space :)

KatiePillow
04-05-2012, 02:22 PM
Just thought I'd add - the reason people say the adobe is so small is that the base slopes right in, so there's little usable space in the bottom.

But I also just realised that your title pluralised dwarf, and neither cage is really big enough for two dwarves. You're looking for something with a large footprint and no levels etc :)

kyrilliondaemon
04-05-2012, 02:29 PM
I'm afraid I agree with everyone here. I'd not use either for a pair - there just isn't enough space in those cages for two.

vanilla-yazoo
04-05-2012, 02:51 PM
if you are getting a pair from a pet shop theres a nice tank pets at home sell for £40, its 73xcm by 30 by 40 high, would be perfect for a pair, I got one recently, and pleased to bits with it.

Mona's Humans
04-05-2012, 03:27 PM
sorry, i'd have to agree with everyone.

Neither of those cages are big enough for two dwarfs and you need a cage without levels for them.

A tank or bin cage would be a better idea, but look around the housing section for more ideas :)

vanilla-yazoo
04-05-2012, 03:38 PM
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j333/vanilla-yazoo/IMG-20120405-01180.jpg
here is the tank I was talking of (had to get a pic of its current set up)
my robo boy lives in here (formerly a syrian) but with two wheels, and two bottles or water bows, would be fine for two. it costs less then the abode. im not sure of the other cage's price, but ild fully recomend it!

he is in his nest in the pic, his sand bath is a plastic food box, inside the wire logs that are the walls so it dosnt go everywhere.

Mona's Humans
04-05-2012, 03:42 PM
yaz i just read your post as "my dwarf who was formerly a syrian" :rolleyes: and i actually got confused......

Think its bed time for me lol!

vanilla-yazoo
04-05-2012, 03:46 PM
XD hahaha!! charli XD lol!! wurzel I can assure you has not had a species change! (unless there is a type of mouse with amazing escaping skills!)
I think it is XD

londonhamster
04-05-2012, 04:32 PM
Wow thanks for all the replies everyone, I appreciate it. Have taken it on board and will look for a larger one.

However one point: I always a cage with at least two levels increase the floor space and provides more amusement for the hamster if there are two levels to go up and down? Is this not the case?

Will look for new things including the tank.

thank all.

kyrilliondaemon
04-05-2012, 04:39 PM
Unfortunately levels can cause fights in pairs, so its safest to keep the cage all on one level for groups or pairs.

You'll also want two wheels, two houses and two of most other things as well. Oh and to scatter feed instead of using a bowl.

Groups and pairs can be a nightmare to keep together, but those are all things that will increase the chances of your pair living together happily :)
I'd also keep a spare cage or large bin incase they ever need separation though. Hopefully it'll never be needed, but the last thing you want is to have to rush around finding something to house a hamster in when they need separation at 10pm on a Sunday or something.

Hammymad
04-05-2012, 04:40 PM
Yeah unfortunately the 2 cages you've mentioned aren't big enough,so I thought I'd try and help by sharing what cages I have for my dwarf hams (they are by themselves And have a cage each) :)

I have a lovely ferplast kios for one of my dwarfs and a Savic Mickey max 2XL for my other dwarf,the kios is lovely and spacious and not very expensive :) xx

kyrilliondaemon
04-05-2012, 04:44 PM
Hammymad - Actually shelves and levels are fine for dwarves who live alone. Its just that levels can cause territorial behaviour in pairs/groups so are best avoided.
Two of our (lone) robos have shelves and they're quite happy with them actually.

Londonhamster - Just for reference, you want a cage with 2800 square cm of space inside at floor level (or more) for pairs. It might help you make decisions when you see possible cages in future :)
Just watch our for curved sides and such as that can drastically reduce the avaliable floor space.

Hammymad
04-05-2012, 04:51 PM
Ahhh right.thanks for clearing that up :)
I bet it's truly something to watch when you have a little group together :) I'd be worried to death of keeping 2 or more in the same cage. Xx

londonhamster
04-05-2012, 04:53 PM
Ok, finally I am not rethinking the 'keeping a pair of dwarves' bit now. My understanding was that campbell's or winter whites were all social hamsters and need to live in pairs or more.

From some of the comments it seems as though you can keep them on their own too?

I went to my local pets at home where they had 12 youngsters kept in the bck which arrived earlier this week. They were all a grey/brown colour with stripes but some were much lighter and even white. they were of the Campbell's variety and not winter whites as I had hoped. They were all 6/7 weeks old and huddled together. I was intending on puchasing two of these over the weekend as they wouldbe siblings thinking that putting them together would keep them happy rather than alone. Any final thoughts on this? One or two?

I really like the Favola cage but the picture in the link does not do it justice. Its a flatter version of a Gerbilarium style cage with a deep 15cm clear tray with a ramp leading up to the upper level. I will of course look into your other suggestions on here.

Sorry for the long reply but hopefully I have give you all a better understanding of where I am coming from and what I am looking for......in the pets at home stores many of the dwarves are kept together but some are also alone.....

MommaHammie
04-05-2012, 04:56 PM
I've got two cages connected to each other for my robos. They have a wheel and a saucer so they can both have a go at one of them at the same time. Food is scattered and there's also two water bottles. They seem to be doing fine after separating one robo from the pair who bullied him -.-'

I used to have three in the two cages but unfortunately, P@H didn't tell me about getting an odd number of robos has a higher risk of having fights than having an even one. Anyways, in case of fights (cuts and all), a spare bin cage would be great. Also a spare saucer or a wheel is ideal as well though fingers cross they only do play fights and not real fights.

Good luck finding a nice new crib for your hammies!

Hammymad
04-05-2012, 05:00 PM
I don't have any experience with keeping dwarf hammies together,they can live happily in a group/pair etc and they can be happy on their own.I got Rambo about 18 months ago frm being 8 weeks old and he's always been by himself and very happy.
My latest dwarf ham BB was a rescue ham and was bullied and attacked by her litter mates,so needed to be by herself.
If hams are from the same litter they've got a good chance of living together and being happy (there are a good few members Kyrillion for example who is much more experienced with keeping groups together) I'm sure she could better advise you on that.

The cages are too small, we aren't trying to tell you what to do,it's just much better for the hams if they have more space.and if you do end up getting a couple of hams- the more space the better I'd say.

londonhamster
04-05-2012, 05:09 PM
The cages are too small, we aren't trying to tell you what to do,it's just much better for the hams if they have more space.and if you do end up getting a couple of hams- the more space the better I'd say.

No dont worry, speak your mind. To me, you are all the experts so frank and direct advice is best. I truly appreciate it and am taking all that you say on board. Thank you for your advice. I will reassess things now.

The Pets at home stuff keep looking at me funny when I explain to them that Russian Dwarf Campbell's are different from Winter Whites. They keep insisting that the whiter coloured babies in their group of Campbell's are winter whites....oh well.

Anyway thanks again all.

Hammymad
04-05-2012, 05:13 PM
To be honest most pf the staff at Pets at home don't know their a**e from their elbow lol!

You're welcome,keep us posted with what you decide to get :) xx

MommaHammie
04-05-2012, 05:25 PM
P@H = more chances of getting things wrong than getting things right.

Most of the suggestions here are basically to give you more chances of having a happy pair of dwarfs hammies living together. Some of us have had a smooth sail with the dwarfs and didn't have to deal with separating and reintroduction but some unlucky ones (like me >_<) had to take the bullied hammie away from the others.

Dwarfs are fine in a group (preferably an even number group) but they are also fine living on their own (especially when the hammy was bullied by the others).

I hope you get your cage sorted out as soon as possible though :)

vanilla-yazoo
04-05-2012, 05:26 PM
i have a winter white who has been single since 6ish weeks old, he is fine on his own and likes his space.

Just a note, if its pets at home you are looking at, the hamsters would be hybrids, a cross over of the winter white and campbells (like a labradoodle is labrador-poodle) they might look like a full campbells, but the places they get hamsters from dont keep the species seporate, so they would definatly be a mix of the two, unless you went to a breeder.
You are right, they are 'social' but they also can have bad fights over what seems like nothing. in the past I had reserched loads into chinese, and what i found out said you can keep them together, I got 3 females, 3 days later I was woken up by screaming in the night, they all had bites from one another, I seporated them into anything close at hand, but they all passed from the wounds. For this reason I dont keep pairs, if I did there would be multiple cages ready in case, and ild try not to leave them unatended.

kyril, hamtastic, pompompoms have got pairs/groups off the top of my head, so they are the top people if you did get a pair.

pets at home staff are as inteligent as ever!
I dont know if you where up for traveling, monday theres a show in thame, oxford, (a bit over an hour from marylebone) there will be full winter whites, and full campbells with pedigrees there. Im not saying you have to go, but should you want to go, its quite a close show to london :)

KatiePillow
04-05-2012, 05:27 PM
The reality is there are campbells and winter whites, pets at home hamsters tend to be hybrids of the two species, their lines don't get an eye kept on them so they tend to interbred (they're mostly from rodent farms, would say exclusively but I'm sure somebody would pipe up with one example of another source)

To get a pure winter white you'd have to go to a proper breeder, I think it was pointed out that your nearest was in Borehamwood, hertfordshire.

It's also worth mentioning that pure winter whites don't tend to like living together as much as campbells anyway, I always think that syrians, winter whites and chinese should be housed alone (from seeing the frequency of fall outs in the latter two) campbells can be attempted, and robos have the highest frequency of success. There'll be exceptions to every rule obviously :)

I've kept 3 lone hybrids and they all seemed happy enough once they adapted (the first two were kept together until I found out they'd been sexed incorrectly, and the third was an adoption after he fought with a cagemate and was returned) as long as their cage is fairly interesting and they have enough out of cage time, they should be alright.
I tend to adopt returned/adoption centre hamsters from p@h, just so I don't have to make the decision to split any hamster up though :p (huge wimp)

Hope this helps :)

racinghamster
04-06-2012, 01:45 AM
Everyone else has covered all the points londonhamster and you have definately come to the right place for advice. Everyone on here has wide experience of keeping dwarf hamsters alone and in pairs/groups, so their advice is invaluable to a newcomer as so many new owners get all excited about their new little ones and sometimes that excitement turns to stress and disapointment when they realise they have either bought the wrong cage or their pair of hamsters start to argue and not get on and end up needing split up. It happens a lot sadly.

Have you thought about adopting one of the russian dwarfs from Pets At Home? If it`s really a pair you are after that`s fine too, but I have to be honest here and say I would never take on a pair of dwarfs again. I just find that they can be too much trouble to keep an eye on and you end up with two cages rather than the big expensive one you bought to begin with!

That`s not to say the two you buy would end up seperated, but it is something you need to consider long term just incase. For a pair of dwarf hamsters, I would be looking at cages like the Zoozone 1, the Ferplast KIOS, or the Zoozone 2, although this is a meter long so you need the room space to accommodate it! Fantastic size though for plenty of cage accessories for a pair or a single dwarf. :) All of these cages can be found online and sometimes local pet shops. They would be a good, long term solution and all have decent floor space without having multiple shelving. You can add a few low levels into cages by using wooden levels and Fiddlestix log bridges etc... plenty of ideas in the Housing and Habitat sections on here to give you ideas. :)

But finally, if this is your first venture into owning a dwarf hamster, I would look at adopting one that is looking for a nice, settled home. I prefer males but that`s just my own preference. I get all my hamsters from adoption or word of mouth/forums etc. It`s so rewarding. :)

Hammymad
04-06-2012, 03:20 AM
Good idea RC about the adopting :)
Honestly londonhamster adopting is very rewarding,as I said in earlier post I have an adopted WW and she is lovely.maybe give it some thought :) x

Kissa
04-06-2012, 04:54 AM
Third-ing the adopting ;) It does feel good to give a "reject" hammy a home. They need as much love as the "new" ones for sale. You're almost never going to find a pure WW in a pet shop, though (or a pure Campbells).

I wish I could force all P@H staff to read Hamsterlopaedia or something. Would be much more useful than whatever "training" they apparently get...

(Curse you guys, now I really want to adopt another hamster, I only have room for one cage! :p)

racinghamster
04-06-2012, 06:41 AM
:mad: Now don`t be getting all broody guys because I mentioned adopting! It`s definately worth looking at though because Pets At Home usually have one or more russian dwarf hamsters in their adoption area. They might not be very young, but the chances are they are either an unwanted childs present (child got bored or it bites!) or the hamster is too old to be sold, so they are placed in the adoption area to make way for the cute baby hamsters. :( It would be the adoption area I would aim for everytime because I don`t like lining the pockets of the store. Any fee you give goes to animal welfare and not the store. ;)

Hammymad
04-06-2012, 06:46 AM
Yeah every time I go in there are countless dwarf hams in need of adopting.Obviously they're bought for young kids because they are little and cute,and obviously when the kid realises its too fast for them,they don't bother with it and it ends up back at pets at home.
From now I am only going to adopt hams frm pets at home and not go for the "new hams"
I have now adopted 3 hams (1 WW and 2 syrians) and have had huge success with them. holly was 8-9 months when I got her,Hammy was 15 months and BB was 10-12 weeks xxx

racinghamster
04-06-2012, 07:22 AM
Agreed. It usually means you miss out on their younger days, but I actually prefer the challenge of taking on a slightly older animal and getting to know it`s personality and bring out the best in it and gain it`s trust, rather than look at how young or old the hamster might be. It`s past never concerns me. I only focus on giving the animal a decent home where it will have everything it needs and the re-assurance that whatever happened in the hamsters past, is in the past.

I know that when one of my hamsters passes on, there will always be a little face out there waiting for the same love and hope. x

Hammymad
04-06-2012, 07:34 AM
Yes I know what you mean,I also enjoy the challenge of getting a slightly older ham.I will always make a bee-line for the hams that I know will get overlooked too due to age,health issues etc. xxx

racinghamster
04-06-2012, 07:55 AM
Hope our conversations have helped you in your decision Londonhams. :) Sorry for the ramble....!

londonhamster
04-06-2012, 08:32 AM
Hope our conversations have helped you in your decision Londonhams. :) Sorry for the ramble....!

No probllem, please ramble away. I really appreciate and enjoy everyones comments. I will visit my three local Pets at home store and will check out the adoption areas too. Many thanks everyone.

Hammymad
04-06-2012, 08:41 AM
No probllem, please ramble away. I really appreciate and enjoy everyones comments. I will visit my three local Pets at home store and will check out the adoption areas too. Many thanks everyone.

You're very welcome :grin: xx

racinghamster
04-06-2012, 09:48 AM
Take your time. That`s the key. Once you settle on the right cage for you (and your hamster/hamsters) it will make all the difference. :) There are so many cages out there that `look` okay, but for the hamster, they can be very restrictive once the accessories and wheel is added. My Gabber Rex (equivellant to the Zoozne 1 in size) is about 70cm long x 45cm wide and I have one roborovski in it! But this size is ideal for a pair also. The Zoozone 2 is huge, so needs more consideration because of it`s size, but the bigger the cage, the better it is for the hamster/hamsters. x

kyrilliondaemon
04-06-2012, 09:54 AM
Yeah, theres no rush to get a ham :)

We've got a group of P@H hybrids living together, but neither me nor my OH will tell you they've made it easy lol. They had their calmest ever fortnight a week ago and I thought they'd matured a bit but now they're back keeping us on our toes again.

Its great to let hams have the chance to live in pairs, but if you're worried about fall outs they will be ok alone (all three of our roborovskis are alone now and they're a social species) so adopting one who's already been separated is probably best :)

We've taken on two adoptees from the P@H section and its definetly worth doing if you can :)

(Oh and our hams all get absurd amounts of space lol, some will need a smaller cage but for others you can never go too big :))

kiania
04-07-2012, 11:41 AM
I do like my little lone adopted hybrid (even if she was an 'accident' :) ).

I saw the abode hamster cage in a magazine (along with the gerbilarium) and cringed at how little space there is *shudders*. Nasty tiny cage with no floor space...yick!

I am currently using a Perfecto tank (91.4 x 33 x 40.6 cm (LxWxH)) with the shelves for her. It is okay as a cage, and for Nimh, going smaller (except for short term christmas holidays/traveling in a carrier) would just be cruel - she really does zip around like a maniac in seconds. We're in the process of moving her over to a detolf. Now, if you have the space, a detolf is the cheapest way of going big (good for pairs too) :)

I'm a strong advocate of as-big-as-humanly-possible (or big-as-I-can-possibly-afford(-over-several-months)) cages though :)

RachK
04-08-2012, 08:22 AM
All four of my dwarfies live alone & are perfectly happy. They have big personality's, so I'm sure they are better like that. :)
Two of my hams were adopted from P@H. Poppy (RIP) & Hamlet were both 10 weeks when I got them.

Queen Of The High Teas
04-10-2012, 08:47 AM
I don't want to frighten you, but I would NEVER house dwarf hamsters in pairs/ groups again. I had 3 russians who I thought,like you, theyd be ok together cos their brothers. And they were, no nipping, fighting, not as much as a squeak, until I came home one awful day and found that 1 of them had attacked and killed the other, then ate him:(. It was horrendous, upset me so much and I felt so guilty thinking if only he had lived alone he'd have been ok. Never again will I keep dwarf hamsters together. IMO hamsters are solitary and that's how they'll stay with me.

As regards to a Winter White or a Russian, try a small independant pet store rather than p@h who don't sell WW's. My WW came from a pet store where they breed their own animals so it is possible to get a pure one from a store. Also I personally think the WW's have a placider nature and are more laid back and docile than Russians, and their not as nippy either.

Kissa
04-10-2012, 02:23 PM
A number of people on the forum have successfully kept pairs, and at least one member has a group of four ;) I'm not saying it's easy, but it's possible. One person's bad experience should not put you off keeping a pair if you have the time, money and effort to put in to it, and are aware that even if you do everything right they may still fall out. Learn from everyone's experiences :)

racinghamster
04-11-2012, 08:47 AM
I am also a `lone` hamster person now. It`s not so much because I also had two male robos who ended up needing seperated, but because you hear all too often of this happening and it can be a sad affair (as in colliewobbles case) if it does end in tragedy. You really do need to have the right set up for a pair or a group and eyes in the back of your head because even though there are some good stories about hamsters co-habiting well, there ten stories of grief for every one story of success. So given those odds, it`s worth noting.

Mona's Humans
04-11-2012, 09:41 AM
I think if possible a pair should be tried, my guinea pigs fell out, and caused one injuries, doesn't mean pairs/colonies shouldn't be tried. Yes it may go wrong, but its unlikely to end in death without warning signs first, and i think if its a sociable species, then it should be a last resort being alone (i.e an adoption, or really no space, time etc) not a first decision.

kyrilliondaemon
04-11-2012, 09:51 AM
Ditto.

We're the ones keeping a four and while its risky (especially given that they're hybrids) they're genuinely happy together. We're keeping a close eye on them and yes it can be hard work, but they'd be miserable if we separated them just because it'd be easier for us. Instead we keep spare cages ready, are prepared to separate if needed and in the meantime are enjoying every minute they have together. Its great waking up to see four of them curled in a heap together or running in wheels in pairs, or even just wandering around to sniff each other. We see them interact with each other in good ways on a daily basis, plus we know they rarely sleep alone.
We're prepared to separate but they're happy together and deserve to be left together since we can let them.

Our robos on the other hand live alone, in Skip's case he always has, Whizz was miserable alone and meeting Muffin genuinely changed her. Now Whizz and Muffin have made it clear they don't want to live together, but despite that Whizz is a changed ham from before she met Muffin. They all cope alone, but I'm much happier knowing that two of them chose that.

Didn't mean to write so much, but yeah. I'm all for giving hams a chance in pairs first :)

FlyLikeAValkyrie
07-09-2012, 12:11 PM
Ok, one thing I want to say about the abode to anyone wanting to buy it...I bought one when I first bought one for my syrian, I had no idea it was too small..however it's quite deep so it's not as small as you'd think. But on the first evening of the cage I found the top did not fit the top. It was too small and not secure AT ALL. My hamster was actually able to push the top off!! I had to keep the top secure by putting a pair of shoes on top of it! It was appalling! I took the cage back the next day and got a full refund. So therefore, I warn everyone before buying this cage, it is not secure at all.
But I do agree with everyone else, both these cages are too small for 2 dwarf hamsters.