WARE Natural Wood Cage for Hamsters

[fluffymunchkins]

I'm suprised, I didn't know a cage like this existed in the US
I really hope more peopel start buying cages like this instead of crittertrail and similar!

[starrylight99]

Originally Posted by fluffymunchkins

I'm suprised, I didn't know a cage like this existed in the US
I really hope more peopel start buying cages like this instead of crittertrail and similar!

I agree! It's fairly new. I got my boys last August and I think it was just going on the market then. It's only $40 too, which is about the same price as a Crittertrail, so I can't see why someone wouldn't buy the bigger one.

[BubbleRabies]

Originally Posted by Hamtastic

This is a review for a cage freely available in the United States that I've owned for 2 months now and find very good. There seems to be a dearth of good quality cages here, compared to Europe, so I thought I'd recommend this WARE cage for those who can't get Savics or Ferplasts or other great cages easily. (It might be available in Europe too, in some stores, I'm not certain). It's pretty cheap here, around $35 for a real gem!

Manufacturer's image of the cage:


General description:

This cage itself has the following dimensions: 24.5"L x 14"W x 14.5"H (~62.5cm x 35.5cm x 37cm) (measuring from the outside points of the teal tray).

Combined with the optional wooden base tray holder, the dimensions are:
~27"L x 17"H x 17.5"W (~68.5cm x 43cm x 44.5cm)

The tray is just under 5" deep.

There are two doors, one on the top and one on the front side. The doors are very large and allow easy access to your hamster(s) and furnishing pieces.

You do not need to use the wooden base -- it is just for decorative purposes and has no bottom (4 trapezoidal sides).

Cage colors: Teal green plastic, light wood details, metallic brown wire (which is great, because dark wire color makes it easier to see through it).

Experience with the cage:

This cage holds my two dwarf WW hybrids, 2 6.5" wheels, the wooden house that came with the cage, and some toys quite well, although depending on how big your toys are, it could get crowded. If you use smaller size toys, like toilet paper rolls, it's very roomy.

I removed the ramp to the second floor shelf, because I read that pairs need a single level. I kept the shelf in for some added shade.

The wooden base decoration is made from plywood, I think, and is not really that strong, so I'm generally careful with it. The rest of the cage is very well made. Being a wire cage, it has great ventilation, and my hamsters love the wooden house that came with it.

Here are a few pictures of my current set-up:



(The see-saw and playground wooden toys are by Hagen Living World Tiny Treasures. The two wheels are by SAM and are 5.5", as my dwarfies were falling out of the 6.5" Silent Spinners. I'll put the Spinners back in when the hams grow up).

The small wooden "shelf" is pretty useless on its own, as it wobbles up and down when a weight is added on top of it. However, if attached with more vertical bars around or with another supporting piece underneath, it could be of some use.

The house doubles up as a food dish holder to save space. I have a paper roll near it to help my hams climb up.

A Note about attaching Wheels to the cage:

If your wheels end up hitting the tray, here is what I did with both, the Silent Spinners and the current wheels:

I inserted an eraser behind one wheel to dampen vibrations, and a lego piece behind another. This pushes the wire cage away from the plastic tray side, thus moving the wheel away from the tray that it rubs against otherwise.

I'd say it's a fairly good minimal size for one syrian or a couple of dwarves. I am OCD about toys and such and might be getting a Zoo Zone1, but the price, quality, and ventilation (and accessibility in the U.S.) of this cage are hard to beat!

P.S.: the bedding on my pictures is pretty shallow, as I'm out of it, and expecting a delivery for more any day now Normally I'd fill it up much higher.

Let me know if you have any questions!

I have a question! I have just bought a 5 week old Syrian Hamster, and I bought him this cage! He loves it! I had the Habitrail Ovo before, and it was noisy, hard to clean, small, and he did not like it at all. He seems more active in his new cage. However, when I went to go attatch the wood platform, it was not very sturdy. You know, the little tiny platform, not the one that is just sitting on the wire. The small on that you need to tighten on. It seemed very wobbly. I put my hand on it, and it seems to bend easily, obviously not strong enough to hold a hamster. But, I see everyone else's hamsters on it fine. Am i doing something wrong?

Wheels:
- For the wheels, since the above mentioned problem happened, I am concerned that the wheel may not be able to hold well on the cage. Also, I bought him the Critter Bunch Fun Runner, and its a VERY silent wheel, but does not have the option for mounting on the wire cage. So, I have a question: Is the Silent Spinner extremely quiet? My step dad does not know I have a hamster, but my mom does, so when Teo is running on his wheel at night, it has to be quiet. I've heard good things about the Silent Spinner, and that they mount on cages. Do they mount on cages? Also, how quiet are they? Do they live up to their name? If I could get a silent spinner, he'd have so much more space in his natural living's cage! his poor wheel right now takes up so much space, I had to take out his loved ramp to keep it in there with enough living space around it. Please reply to this, by quoting then replying; or email me at [email protected] with the above questions answered if you pleaseeee. <3 it'd be very appriciated. This is my first hamster, and he is about 3 months old now. He's very happy, extremely social, very friendly, and very healthy. Not a thing wrong with him... just with me seeing as I can't find a good wheel!!
Thanks a bunch. <3

[Hamtastic]

Shelf : you can attach it so that one of the vertical bars on the cage is near the bolt where you attach the shelf. That way it won't wobble up and down as much, because the verticle bar some distance away from the bolt will provide more support.

Wheels : Silent Spinners are extremely silent. They attach to wire cages and also have a stand if you prefer to use them that way. They are excellent wheels. However, you'd need the largest size for your hamster though, as the 6.5" is on the small size for syrians. At 12" the large Silent Spinner is on the too large side for this cage.

You can look into other wheels of 8-10" diameter, look at reviews for how silent they are. Keep in mind that you can use some vegetable oil on the axel when you take the wheel apart to make it a lot more silent.

Junior Wodent Wheel is a great wheel and is pretty quiet. It is highly recommended by experienced hamster owners. You can check it out here:
Wodent Wheel Description
Fairly good price here:
Safety Wodent Wheel - Junior

[BubbleRabies]

Originally Posted by Hamtastic

Shelf : you can attach it so that one of the vertical bars on the cage is near the bolt where you attach the shelf. That way it won't wobble up and down as much, because the verticle bar some distance away from the bolt will provide more support.

Wheels : Silent Spinners are extremely silent. They attach to wire cages and also have a stand if you prefer to use them that way. They are excellent wheels. However, you'd need the largest size for your hamster though, as the 6.5" is on the small size for syrians. At 12" the large Silent Spinner is on the too large side for this cage.

You can look into other wheels of 8-10" diameter, look at reviews for how silent they are. Keep in mind that you can use some vegetable oil on the axel when you take the wheel apart to make it a lot more silent.

Junior Wodent Wheel is a great wheel and is pretty quiet. It is highly recommended by experienced hamster owners. You can check it out here:
Wodent Wheel Description
Fairly good price here:
Safety Wodent Wheel - Junior

I work at petsmart, and my Pet Care Assosociates told me that the 6.5'' would be fine for my hamster, as his wheel before was 6'' and he fit fine in it. So the silent spinner is highly recommended?

[Hope]

Silent Spinners are very quiet yes, but the 6.5 is not big enough for a syrian hamster, even though the packaging says so. Your hamster should be able to run completely flat, not have to bend his back or head at all when running. Some hamster are smaller and some are bigger, but please do check that yours can run comfortably in his as it can be very uncomfortable and painful for them if their back is constantly bent.

I personally only use 8" or bigger for syrians, in fact one of my dwarfs have an 8" wheel and he manages just fine in it!

I would recomend the Karlie Wonderland wheels, not sure if they are availible in the US though, they should pop up on a google search, go for the 20cm one for a syrian. They are SUPER, silent! The Wodent wheels as Hamtastic mentioned are also really good, and are availible quite readily in the US.

[Hamtastic]

From the searches I've done, I was unable to find the Karlie wheel in the U.S., sadly. If anyone has found an odd shop that has it, however, let me know

[rockstar11p]

Originally Posted by BubbleRabies

I have a question! I have just bought a 5 week old Syrian Hamster, and I bought him this cage! He loves it! I had the Habitrail Ovo before, and it was noisy, hard to clean, small, and he did not like it at all. He seems more active in his new cage. However, when I went to go attatch the wood platform, it was not very sturdy. You know, the little tiny platform, not the one that is just sitting on the wire. The small on that you need to tighten on. It seemed very wobbly. I put my hand on it, and it seems to bend easily, obviously not strong enough to hold a hamster. But, I see everyone else's hamsters on it fine. Am i doing something wrong?

Wheels:
- For the wheels, since the above mentioned problem happened, I am concerned that the wheel may not be able to hold well on the cage. Also, I bought him the Critter Bunch Fun Runner, and its a VERY silent wheel, but does not have the option for mounting on the wire cage. So, I have a question: Is the Silent Spinner extremely quiet? My step dad does not know I have a hamster, but my mom does, so when Teo is running on his wheel at night, it has to be quiet. I've heard good things about the Silent Spinner, and that they mount on cages. Do they mount on cages? Also, how quiet are they? Do they live up to their name? If I could get a silent spinner, he'd have so much more space in his natural living's cage! his poor wheel right now takes up so much space, I had to take out his loved ramp to keep it in there with enough living space around it. Please reply to this, by quoting then replying; or email me at [email protected] with the above questions answered if you pleaseeee. <3 it'd be very appriciated. This is my first hamster, and he is about 3 months old now. He's very happy, extremely social, very friendly, and very healthy. Not a thing wrong with him... just with me seeing as I can't find a good wheel!!
Thanks a bunch. <3

I have a comfort wheel It's made by the same manufacturers that make the silent spinner, but it's bigger for Syrians. Jojo loved hers. I have hers on the stand it comes in because she lives in an aquarium, but it can also attach to cage bars. It wobbles a little, but doesn't make a lot of noise. You'll probably want to shut your door if you get it though.

[rockstar11p]

I might get this cage if my mom lets me get two dwarf hamsters. Is there anything else I should know about it?

[Hamtastic]

Hm, not really... It's a fairly simple cage--you'd probably end up getting your own toys for it. You don't have to put the shelf in--can get separate tall climbing walls and what not; or else you can use different ramp instead of the default one (bird ladders?) If you can attach your wheel to the cage bars, it will save some space (since stands usually stand a bit away from the walls).