Pet palace Hamster house review

[CharlieWong]

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Hamster house I got from pet palace, I bought it for £50 it's awesome, the bottom level is a drawer so you can empty bedding out easily (I hadn't put bedding in it when i took photos) and the water bottle is stored in the chimney and accessed by the hamster through the attic ceiling, my hamster loves it as soon as i put him in there he was running up and down all the stairs, i really like this cage as it is very detailed with a little picket fence and cute windows :) If I had a girl hamster I would have got it in pink as it looks really cute but I got blue. Think it comes in pretty much any colour, It's really sturdy & it's pretty big, about 30" high by 16" x 16"

[souffle]

Is this just a playzone? I don't think you could keep a hammy in here as it would be hard to clean, no wheel or much space and the ventilation is non existent - Also the wood could be chewed and the paint? Is that safe for chewers? It's far too small for any hamster as a full time home.
As hamsters get older a trip to the roof for a drink would be hard.
It looks more like a dolls house to me and really not suitable for hamsters in my opinion.

[CharlieWong]

Don't know if you read the sizes but it's huge lol, he is an old hamster but loves to climb, yes there is a wheel just didn't have it in for this pic - and there is air holes all along the back and mesh windows - the paint is non toxic - charlie is usually a chewer but he hasn't chewed this yet- but yeah maybe it could get chewed easily, not sure, My last cage was wooden because he chewed out of a ferplast one, it's really easy to clean cause he only pees in the bottom bit where the bedding goes -it's probs not for everyone but i like it, i think the point is to look like a dolls house, why cant hamster cages be big but also look cute?

[CPalmer]

I have to disagree with huge...16 inch is only about 40.5 cm. and that is a squared bottom, where most of the floor space is already devided up and lost.

A hamster doesn't need a 'cute' house. It needs a safe place it can grow, exercise and stay healthy. I can't see you getting a 29cm wheel on it's stand in there for a syrian to run without bending its back.

I'll stick to my 'boring' habitat that makes for a happy hammy

[CharlieWong]

Is this just a playzone? I don't think you could keep a hammy in here as it would be hard to clean, no wheel or much space and the ventilation is non existent - Also the wood could be chewed and the paint? Is that safe for chewers? It's far too small for any hamster as a full time home.
As hamsters get older a trip to the roof for a drink would be hard.
It looks more like a dolls house to me and really not suitable for hamsters in my opinion.

Also I see you have reccomended a ferplast cage to someone before and this cage is bigger than that - maybe the photos don't do it justice.

[CharlieWong]

He has more of a 'roundabout' he doesn't use a wheel, never liked them, it's like a flat wooden thing, fits in there fine. think it looks smaller than it is - I think it's fine for my hamster cause I know what he likes to do, he likes to run on his wheel, have a sand bath and sleep/ eat, this is perfect for that, he also loves to climb, it's probs not suitable for all hamsters,

I've always found people on this forum to be pretty negative, like I uploaded a massive cage, and most people were like 'woah it's huge, but a few said 'there's not enough toys' when it wasn't finished - i think most people on here are probs too old to be obsessed by hamsters and probs quite lonely with there 20 million hamsters so have to moan to make themselves feel better - great you're a hamster expert well done guys, good job.

[souffle]

Certainly the Ferplast Duna Multy is a great size for a Syrian I'd say at 28in x 18in base size. The smaller Duna is OK for a single dwarf hamster I'd also say depending on the individual.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion Charlie and I gave mine on this cage. If you don't want peoples opinions or only want very positive ones then perhaps that is not something you always get here but insulting other members is not allowed on the forum.
I only have one hamster and certainly do not consider myself an expert. Always something new to learn.

I'd like to see it with all the bits in like his wheel, bedding etc so that would give a better idea of what it is like :)

[Aimeeeee]

There's no need to be mean, people are entitled to their opinion, and there's no such thing as "too old" for hamsters ;)

I just think a better cage would be one with a wide open space that your hammy can move around, which would better mimick their natural habitat :)

[Colby and the Dwarfs]

It's bigger than most pet shop cages. Wouldn't say it's "huge". It seems small to me. I wouldn't particularly want my hamsters living in it. But you did not show us the large parts, like at the bottom.

I'm with Souffle, I'd like to see it with some bedding and a wheel and food and toys.

Every time you make a thread, you accept that you may get replies you don't like. What I've learned (and TRUST me, I know) is you need to not take it personally.

[TraceyH]

I quite like this cage for my chinese as he doesn't like large cages, plus he'd love climbing the stairs I'm sure. I'd not house any of my syrians in it though.

[humfry]

That is not a home for an animal - it's a dolls house designed to look aesthetically pleasing in the home & cutsie. I wouldn't let my humfry within a mile of such a hovel! It has been built to please the human eye & so that it has marketing appeal & not with first foremost the needs of a small living creature. yuk!! I don't blame someone for buying it - but those who make & sell such items should be made to live in a human size equivalent! For a Syrian it looks like prison cell.

[Teddy001]

It doesn't look like there is enough ventilation- I'm thinking of converting a unused doll house into a play zone for my hamsters, however one side is completely open, which I will be covering with mesh. Never thought about housing a hamster in one, my 9 yo daughter would think it's a fun idea:).
One suggestion, you should add a free standing water bottle in the bottom part- you mentioned your ham is older, and that would be easier for him to access water- always good to have at least 2 water drinking options:).
What's the measurements just for the bottom section? The top section I would not really count that in with living space- appears to be an area an hamster would walk through and not really live. Interesting cage, I must say.

[Teddy001]

He has more of a 'roundabout' he doesn't use a wheel, never liked them, it's like a flat wooden thing, fits in there fine. think it looks smaller than it is - I think it's fine for my hamster cause I know what he likes to do, he likes to run on his wheel, have a sand bath and sleep/ eat, this is perfect for that, he also loves to climb, it's probs not suitable for all hamsters,

I've always found people on this forum to be pretty negative, like I uploaded a massive cage, and most people were like 'woah it's huge, but a few said 'there's not enough toys' when it wasn't finished - i think most people on here are probs too old to be obsessed by hamsters and probs quite lonely with there 20 million hamsters so have to moan to make themselves feel better - great you're a hamster expert well done guys, good job.

I'm confused? You said he likes to run on his wheel, then said he never liked wheels? I'd think a suitable size hamster wheel would be important, even if he used it occasionally- :).

Loving pets, no matter how old- or how many, doesn't mean people are lonely and obsessed.. I'm an adult and I enjoy my hamsters, along side with my young daughter- if I had the space, I'd love to adopt a few more hamsters, for the fact that I enjoy them. My life is full, and happy, I just happen to enjoy hamsters, and learning as much as I can about them:).

[CharlieWong]

yeah he likes to run on a roundabout wheel not an upright wheel, sorry if i wasn't clear, I think if people saw it they would see that it is a large area to run in, if you mark out the sizes you would see, as I had a large living world cage that is all one level but if you add theses levels together it is larger.

I understand peoples opinions but I saw that on this forum people like to read reviews, I posted a review so people could see what I thought was a nice cage, I wasn't asking for opinions lol - was just reviewing to be helpful

like if you reviewd an item on a shop site

[spyro87]

The thing you have to remember Charlie, is when you post up a review on an open public forum, you are going to get replies and responses to your review.
On many shopper sites there is the option to feedback on whether the review was helpful or not. This is like that only more personalised and individual. People are able to express why they didn't find your review helpful or did.

The fact is that while this hamster cage looks cute, I feel pretty darn sorry for any hamster that has to be restricted to such limited space in the upper floors, just so his owner can have a pretty cage.

Neither would I call this cage "huge".

As others have said, you've stated he is an older hamster... And I have to question this... Have you ever really looked after an older hamster? Do you know the required care for an elderly ham? If you did, I think you'd think twice about this "cage" for him.

You can't reasonably sound out members on here for *trying* to help you with advice and their opinions. I'm sorry you don't like them, but there is no need to be rude and confrontational.

[ianpallen]

Spyro is right.
On here, people love their hams and care about other peoples hams as well. They give guidance to people who do not know much and want to learn.
If you think of human people, as they get old they cant climb stairs very well and prefer to live in bungalows. Everything is on one floor. This is how pets are as well. Putting an old hamster in a three storey house is too much for him to climb the stairs all the time. The water bottle in a chimney with the spout through the roof is a good design, but with it being at the top of the house, it is a long way for a pet to climb when it is old, especially if it decides to sleep at the bottom. If you got a 62ltr storage container from Wilkos, like I have, there is ample room for him to roam around and if you wanted to put a shelf in there so he has more ground space, it would not be too much of a high climb for him if you placed a longish ramp. The house would be good enough for a robo to have as a playground, but not a permanant home.

When a hamster is in captivity, they can live longer than the ones in the wild. A comfortable and healthy ham is a loving pet and will show you his love too.
My storage container from Wilko's only cost £10 with £3.50 postage (cheaper than bus fare to fetch it) and it arrived in 2 days. I bet it was cheaper than the house you have and it has more room. :D

[souffle]

Is the roundabout thing a flying saucer Charlie? These are good enough excercise units for hamsters however they do take up quite a bit of space. I'd still like to see the cage fitted out and in use as a cage. Can you post some pics?
It is useful to have the reviews and make comments on them. That way people considering buying can make a better judgement on the pros and cons.
Every review is useful so don't take comments to heart.
Perhaps once he has lived there for a few months you could update on how he is settling and how you find the cleaning and if he chews etc?

[StarlightSerenity]

Ah, another gimmicky cage designed to attract impulse buyers with screaming children. I wouldn't even subject my vicious fatty dwarf Harry to this cage, even after a few more bites, for various reasons.

1 - the size. It's tiny. It's footprint is 16" by 16"/40cm x 40cm. Additional levels and shelves shouldn't be counted when considering the size of a cage as hamsters are runners not climbers. They are happier in one large open space rather than split level cages or 'pod' like cages. If I counted the shelves in my Syrians cage towards the overall size it'd be 78" x 20" (L x W).

Most experienced hamster owners will recommend a cage with a footprint of AT LEAST double the length of what that cage is.

2 - Ventilation - there's hardly any at all. It will become like a greenhouse in the summer and high temperatures can kill hamsters. It will be stuffy, the smell of urine will quickly build up which can also be dangerous. The loft 'room' has, what, 6 small holes in it?

3 - Wood. Wood, wood, wood. Hamsters won't chew wood unless it's something they shouldn't be chewing on, like the cage! Hamsters can chew out of plastic cages like the ZooZone, it wouldn't take long for an escape happy ham to chew his or her way out of this! That poses two problems - damaged cage and the ingestion of potentially toxic materials. Not good.

And, well, pee soaked wood is gross and can easily cause mold which can be dangerous.

4 - Suitability for an elderly hamster. It's simply not suitable. An elderly hamster will be constrained to one level which may end up being the one without the water bottle or food.

I noticed that there is only one place for a water bottle (is that right?) - a cage with multiple levels or pods should have one bottle per level and/or pod. This ensures that if the hamster, for whatever reason, cannot get to another level it still has access to water. Plus, having two or more water bottles means that if one breaks then there's always a spare. I have two water bottles and a water bowl per cage because of water bottle breaking paranoia.

All in all, I can't see one good thing about this cage.

OK. Maybe one. I like the colour.

Others have stated why making nasty comments about people posting their own opinions on a public forum is just plain ridiculous so I won't bother going into that one...

[Willow Wisp]

Can I please just ask, if the roundabout you mention is a flying saucer, (and as far as I'm aware there are only flying saucers or wheels available), and your photo's show your hamster is a Syrian, then she must have the 12inch flying saucer? How does this work with a bottom floor space of 16x16inches? I assume it means that she only has the flying saucer and nothing else in the bottom level? otherwise she wouldn't have room to move around it?

[NiceCrocs]

Would be a cute play zone for a ham, but completely unsuitable for long-term living. Sorry, but far too small, no reliable ventilation, plus if any urine soaks into the wood it's ruined.

A hamster really needs 360 square inches of space on one level.

[MissDonna]

Whole lot of negativity in these comments.. Ofcourse people are entitled to their opinion but some seem to forget it's JUST their opinion and not a general truth.


About the critique on the space:
This would be a perfectly suitable habitat for my Russian dwarf Winston. I've seen people use the argument 'hamsters are runners not climbers'. Sorry, do you know every single hamster personally? While that may be true for THEIR hamster it certainly isn't for mine. Winston loves to climb and would absolutely adore traveling these levels. And even if he is in a running mood.. How big of a cage do you "running hamster"-people have?! I'd need a cage the size of my kitchen to satisfy Winston if he really wants to run around! Anything less than full room-size would be unsufficient and therefore completely unnecessary. He has his ball for running.
I think the cage maybe just looks a bit suffocating because of all the wood and the minimum of light. But while I personally wouldn't enjoy living in there I'm pretty sure my hamster would, since he always hangs around in the most closed off, smallest and darkest spaces he can crawl into during the day. And during the night? He climbs. Or runs in his wheel or ball. So as long as Charlie is able to comfortably fit a running wheel or disc I believe she's just fine.

About the critique on the paint:
Charlie clearly stated the paint was non-toxic. So that pretty much ends every argument on this subject. I understand people had concerns about this at first but she cleared it up so shhhhjjj :-$

About the critique on the levels because her hamster is old:
I'm pretty sure that Charlie knows her own hamster better than all of you commenters do. If she can visually witness her old hamster enjoys the climbing and is perfectly capable of reaching his water supply than this habitat is perfectly suitable for her hamster. Ofcourse she should replace this habitat with a one-leveled more suitable one once she notices it's troubling her hamster but if that's not the case yet I see no problem.


The only things I CAN agree upon with the previous commenters is maaaaybe the lack of ventilation, however it does have one completely open side and plenty of ventilation holes and windows.
My main concern with this habitat would be the possibility of pee leaking into the wood, causing odour and possibly mold. My hamster pees absolutely everywhere so I'd have to cover all the floors in plastic. But as long as Charlie's hamster is potty trained as she says, again no problem.

Finally, before people start blaming me for liking this because it's aestethically pleasing: I don't actually like the doll house look at all. I can imagine some people would but personally it's not for me. However, I DO think my dwarf hamster would enjoy living in it.

All of the above just my opinion ofcourse. That'll be all.

[Silver]

Are you a school teacher?

You said " That'll be all "

Many years ago now when I was at school that's what the teachers who were telling us off used to say to us

"That will be all"

( this is not being said in a sarcastic way, it just made me laugh in a good way)

xxx

[Colby and the Dwarfs]

Even if the hamster likes to climb, it needs lots more levels to have enough space, even vertically.

[PikaTay]

I agree with MissDonna. It is perfectly fine for one to respond with their opinion but there are different ways to say it. It is like when people talk to you in real life, they could say something in a way that makes you feel offended, but they may be able to say the same thing in the way that you understand without offense. And some of these comments did sound rather. . . attacking. [Although the response wasn't really any better :( ]

As for ventilation, maybe the glass could be replaced with meshing like the kind used to cover bin cage windows? That might help the ventilation big time.

Also, if the hammy is potty trained then pee everywhere shouldn't be a problem (right?). However I personally would cover the bare wood with something, even if its not the substrate. I cover my wood platform in ripped toilet paper and hay, so if she does get a weak bladder up there, at least it is absorbed enough where it is not a problem. Also, I've seen a lot of people plastikote (or what is it called?) homemade wood products, so that could be another possibility.

I don't know how to take care of elderly hamsters so I certainly don't know for sure about the climbing issue, but as long as we are comparing hamsters to people, I have two grandparents near the same age - one cannot get around very well, and therefore cannot comfortably use stairs and such, but the other is just as fit and able as my parents are (sometimes more so haha). So if every hamster is different like people are, then maybe Charlie's hamster can indeed still enjoy climbing. As long as they keep an eye on the hamster to make sure it's not struggling. If it does, then, yes, it should be moved to a large single level cage.

Although, with all those levels, I would also include a second bottle on the bottom level, just for ease of access to water which is a necessity to all living things.

All in all, the consensus everywhere (not just on this forum) seems to be 'the bigger the better'. Also, you should not add together levels to the total floor space. So that should definitely be kept in mind!

Overall I think it is super cute! Although in my personal opinion, a little impractical. I would love to watch my hamster explore and play in this cage, but I don't think I would house her there.

[MissDonna]

Are you a school teacher?

You said " That'll be all "

Many years ago now when I was at school that's what the teachers who were telling us off used to say to us

"That will be all"

( this is not being said in a sarcastic way, it just made me laugh in a good way)

xxx

Haha, no not a teacher. Uni student actually :D
Glad I made you laugh tho :)

[Silver]

Haha, no not a teacher. Uni student actually :D
Glad I made you laugh tho :)

Brought back some good memories :)

xxx

[MissDonna]

All in all, the consensus everywhere (not just on this forum) seems to be 'the bigger the better'. Also, you should not add together levels to the total floor space. So that should definitely be kept in mind!


Maybe she could add some sort of a 'front yard' or a porch to the house, that the hamster has access to. More space for the hamster, and even cuter than it already is now :D

[ianpallen]

Maybe two houses front to front o/ back to back or side by side with out a joining wall. It would double the size straight off.

[PikaTay]

Oh my gosh, a cute little yard with a little porch swing and everything. I'm squeeing with delight at the thought ^_^

[MissDonna]

YES! Exactly what I was going for :lol:

[ianpallen]

I see the bottom part (I shall call this the box) pulls out for ease of cleaning. Would it be possible for someone to take the back off the box and fit the box to the 'front' so the 'ground floor' is twice the size. The back (if the height is the same as sides) could be made into a lid. Cut a hole in it so it resembles a picture frame and have some mesh fitted to it and have it hinged so that it opens for cleaning. Just a thought. I think it has potential as a nice cage. ;)

[dave123791]

Oh my....

What is this??

It's a dolls house not a hamster cage. Just because you like to see him run up and down the stairs and you think he looks "cute" in that cage doesn't mean he enjoys it. This thing is tiny and i wouldn't put even a dwarf in there. It has poor ventilation. People don't give "negative" or "bad" opinions they say what they think. Everybody has the right to say what they think.

I'm sick of little kids putting their hamster in a tiny "cage" and thinking it's cute. It's not cute- its torture. What if you were licked in your own bedroom for the rest or your life??? Would you enjoy it? I don't think so.

A hamster is not a toy, it's an animal!! It deserves a proper living space that meats the minimal size requirements. The levels don't count.

For safety purposes: No i am not threatening you, no i don't want to lock you, no i didn't call you a sick child.

[MissDonna]

Hmm I've been taking a second look at the pictures. The front of the house, is that wire gauze like on the windows? I thought it was at first but now I'm thinking it might be plexiglass. That would sort of change my view about the ventilation. The tiny holes are not enough and if it's plexiglass I'd highly urge you to replace it with some sort of bars or wire gauze.

[KMPlays]

Totally agree with many of the above posts.

This thing is TINY. I feel so bad for your hamster right now. Just because hamsters are small does not mean they can live in what is a child's toy. The ventilation must be terrible and when the wood is peed on it will smell disgusting and maybe cause mould. It's hardly big enough for a proper wheel, let alone anything exciting or fun for your hamster. Even if you think he loves climbing the stairs, it's hard for an elderly hamster to have to run up and down steps all the time just for water.

Please reconsider the housing for your pet.

[PikaTay]

I see the bottom part (I shall call this the box) pulls out for ease of cleaning. Would it be possible for someone to take the back off the box and fit the box to the 'front' so the 'ground floor' is twice the size. The back (if the height is the same as sides) could be made into a lid. Cut a hole in it so it resembles a picture frame and have some mesh fitted to it and have it hinged so that it opens for cleaning. Just a thought. I think it has potential as a nice cage. ;)


That's a great idea! If you pull out the bottom and extend the back like Ian suggests, then you double the size making the bottom cage dimensions more then enough: 16 x 32 = 512 sq inches

Plenty of room to fit toys, the roundabout and a second water bottle, plus the hammy would still have the added bonus of the extra climbing layers (and the cute little 'front yard' idea)