Questions about my new Syrian hamster! - Page 2

cypher · 04-05-2018, 02:15 AM

Hamster balls are a very controversial issue so you'll get mixed advice on that one, in my opinion they can be very handy for transporting a ham from cage to playpen/bath but that's all they're good for, they don't offer any benefits when used for the purpose they're meant for!
Connecting bins with tubes can be tricky to do safely & it doesn't always work so well as they do better with one large area rather than joined areas.
If you do use a tube make sure the angle is ok for him to climb through & be very careful about how you attach it as they're not always escape proof if not fixed very securely.

Kreeture · 04-05-2018, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

Hamster balls are a very controversial issue so you'll get mixed advice on that one, in my opinion they can be very handy for transporting a ham from cage to playpen/bath but that's all they're good for, they don't offer any benefits when used for the purpose they're meant for!
Connecting bins with tubes can be tricky to do safely & it doesn't always work so well as they do better with one large area rather than joined areas.
If you do use a tube make sure the angle is ok for him to climb through & be very careful about how you attach it as they're not always escape proof if not fixed very securely.

Oh okay! And I was planning on just cutting two holes and connecting it like a bridge to the other, but I did start thinking it would be a hassle, so would it be okay to switch out his toys with different ones and his hides with different ones here and there? Gives him something new? Or would that stress him out at all? I have a plastic igloo, one of the plastic bendy tunnels, bendy bridge and wheel in his home now, would I be able to take all of that out and replace it with a double wooden house with a wooden tube and wooden lookout to give him something new?

cypher · 04-05-2018, 02:33 AM

Joining bins that way is a hassle & not as easy or safe as it sounds so probably not a good idea really.
Some hams are ok with having some things swapped around as long as it's not too often but most tend not to like having things changed in the cage & it can stress them.
I wouldn't replace too much at once if you do try some new things, the wooden house would be better than the igloo for him so if you have space in the bin maybe try that first & see how he goes.
Could you possibly get a larger cage instead?
Zooplus do some really good cages & if price is an issue the alaska is pretty reasonable & a good size without being too huge if you're a bit short on space.

Kreeture · 04-05-2018, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

Joining bins that way is a hassle & not as easy or safe as it sounds so probably not a good idea really.
Some hams are ok with having some things swapped around as long as it's not too often but most tend not to like having things changed in the cage & it can stress them.
I wouldn't replace too much at once if you do try some new things, the wooden house would be better than the igloo for him so if you have space in the bin maybe try that first & see how he goes.
Could you possibly get a larger cage instead?
Zooplus do some really good cages & if price is an issue the alaska is pretty reasonable & a good size without being too huge if you're a bit short on space.

The bin I have now is roughly 608 square inches! Is that too small?

cypher · 04-05-2018, 02:46 AM

I'm hopeless with square inches! what are the dimensions?

Kreeture · 04-05-2018, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

I'm hopeless with square inches! what are the dimensions?

I was the same, lol! It's 32 inches long, 19 inches wide, and I forgot height but I believe it's like 12 inches cause I had to cut out a spot and attach another small bin for the wheel to fit! I'll try to attach the two pictures I have of it! It's sitting on top of the second bin I have.

cypher · 04-05-2018, 02:55 AM

It's not tiny by any means & ok for a starter cage size but he could really do with more space ideally.

Kreeture · 04-05-2018, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

It's not tiny by any means & ok for a starter cage size but he could really do with more space ideally.

Okay! Is the one you posted bigger? I tried going to the link you posted about the cage but it won't allow me to click it?

cypher · 04-05-2018, 03:08 AM

The link seems to be working for me, try again.
Alaska cage.
The dimensions are a bit bigger, 84 x 48.5 x 44 cm (L x W x H) it's also taller, the base is deep enough for plenty of substrate & there's still plenty of height to add a shelf if you wanted to or you would have space to use the top of a large house as a kind of shelf so overall you would have more space & potential for enrichment.
There are other bigger cages on Zooplus but they are more expensive, the Barney is the most popular.

Kreeture · 04-05-2018, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

The link seems to be working for me, try again.
Alaska cage.
The dimensions are a bit bigger, 84 x 48.5 x 44 cm (L x W x H) it's also taller, the base is deep enough for plenty of substrate & there's still plenty of height to add a shelf if you wanted to or you would have space to use the top of a large house as a kind of shelf so overall you would have more space & potential for enrichment.
There are other bigger cages on Zooplus but they are more expensive, the Barney is the most popular.

Yup works now! I'll go check it all out! Thank you! Youve been great help!