Pebbles82
03-10-2015, 04:18 AM
RSPCA Cage size in print
Ok, here's the post referred to elsewhere that didn't work last time!
I remember recently, on a few threads, people trying to find where the RSPCA says that the minimum cage size is 75 x 40 as it doesn't say on their website. Well I've found where I read it when having a big tidy up last week. I found the book I bought when we first got Charlie - the RSPCA's pet guide published by Collins "Care for your Hamster". Mine is the 2005 edition and it has two pages on suitable cages and cage size. It says
"The size of cage is obviously important and, in this respect, a home-made cage may score over a commercially produced one. However size alone (see page 20) is not a sufficient guide to the suitability or otherwise of a particular cage. Golden hamsters are very active, and the whole cage interior needs to be accessible if the animal is to enjoy the high level of activity that is natural to it".
On page 20 it talks about home-made enclosures and says:
"Make the dimensions as generous as possible. Overall measurements of at least 75 x 40 x 40 cm (30 x 15 x 15 in) are recommended."
Basically it recommends building a big cage rather than buying a cage that is too small from a pet shop. The examples of some of the bought cages it shows though, aren't ideal - which just goes to show there isn't much available commercially (except for us in the know who know about Zooplus and the Mamble!).
Hope this helps anyone looking for the authorititative version of what the RSPCA minimum size is. 75 x 40 x 40 is the minimum - it recommends "at least" that and as generous as possible. Most cages that say they are 80 x 50 are actually only 75 x 45 at the bottom, so really the 80 x 50 cages are the minimum. Now we've had a fairly large syrian for 8 months I would say the minimum size for a syrian should be 100 x 50. Our 80cm cage just isn't big enough once I have syrian/rat sized stuff in! I can also see why the floor size is more important than height now. They need digging and tunneling space. Which means leaving most of the floor of the cage clear for this, but if you put houses and hidey places on a shelf they can't burrow under them and make hoards under them so it affects their behaviour. I guess ideally something the size of a detolf is good - space for houses on the substrate and still space for digging. I'm still planning what I can fit that is bigger and how to set it up!
Ok, here's the post referred to elsewhere that didn't work last time!
I remember recently, on a few threads, people trying to find where the RSPCA says that the minimum cage size is 75 x 40 as it doesn't say on their website. Well I've found where I read it when having a big tidy up last week. I found the book I bought when we first got Charlie - the RSPCA's pet guide published by Collins "Care for your Hamster". Mine is the 2005 edition and it has two pages on suitable cages and cage size. It says
"The size of cage is obviously important and, in this respect, a home-made cage may score over a commercially produced one. However size alone (see page 20) is not a sufficient guide to the suitability or otherwise of a particular cage. Golden hamsters are very active, and the whole cage interior needs to be accessible if the animal is to enjoy the high level of activity that is natural to it".
On page 20 it talks about home-made enclosures and says:
"Make the dimensions as generous as possible. Overall measurements of at least 75 x 40 x 40 cm (30 x 15 x 15 in) are recommended."
Basically it recommends building a big cage rather than buying a cage that is too small from a pet shop. The examples of some of the bought cages it shows though, aren't ideal - which just goes to show there isn't much available commercially (except for us in the know who know about Zooplus and the Mamble!).
Hope this helps anyone looking for the authorititative version of what the RSPCA minimum size is. 75 x 40 x 40 is the minimum - it recommends "at least" that and as generous as possible. Most cages that say they are 80 x 50 are actually only 75 x 45 at the bottom, so really the 80 x 50 cages are the minimum. Now we've had a fairly large syrian for 8 months I would say the minimum size for a syrian should be 100 x 50. Our 80cm cage just isn't big enough once I have syrian/rat sized stuff in! I can also see why the floor size is more important than height now. They need digging and tunneling space. Which means leaving most of the floor of the cage clear for this, but if you put houses and hidey places on a shelf they can't burrow under them and make hoards under them so it affects their behaviour. I guess ideally something the size of a detolf is good - space for houses on the substrate and still space for digging. I'm still planning what I can fit that is bigger and how to set it up!