Ferplast Mini Duna - Review - Page 5

_nod · 05-07-2013, 06:19 AM

I found this cage too small for my pair of Robos. They came in a mini duna when I rescued them, but I've since built a custom Perspex tank with 3x the floor space. They love running around their cage now and I couldn't imagine transferring them back to the mini duna.

I know all hamsters (and owners) are different but it's my opinion that the mini duna is a bit too small.

melodie · 06-06-2013, 07:41 AM

I have 2 dwarf hamsters and they both have one of these cages to themselves. I think it's a good size for a single dwarf, although bigger would obviously be better! I am aware that there is a lot of dispute to whether the size of the mini duna is good or not, but my hammies get about an hour in their runs a day (it measures about 3m x 3m) which wears them out! So in my case I think that the Mini Duna is a good size for what you pay for!
Sometimes I take the shelf out of the cage and use it as a tank (see picture) which was useful when Bloss had an accidental litter just after we got her!
I threw out the water bottle which came with the cage as the water level didn't go down! The food bowl that came with it was HUGE so that's used for sand baths as it's the perfect size for them to roll around in. I placed the wheel on a stand which I bought at pets at home, and it's completely silent- which is amazing as beforehand I was going to purchase 2 silent spinners!
As long as you are careful with the cage it won't break or snap I've had 2 for just over a year and they are still in perfect condition

icklemunch · 06-06-2013, 02:43 PM

I bought this cage two werks ago as i ended up adopting a robo from pets at home adoption who i hadn't planned for. I did really like the cage,its just such a shame it isn't bigger. I think if ferplast made an exact replica of the mini duna but 20cm longer and pets at home etc stocked it,it would be a very populat cage. My wilbur is now in a zoozone which is so much better for him, much more room for digging,playing and lots of toys.

**Pompompoms** · 06-06-2013, 04:14 PM

I like this cage for an older robo that is struggling a little, it has been the retirement cage for quite a few of my little fluffs. It's also good for a shy new ham as the size can help settle them before moving into a more spacious home. I haven't found it good for any of my little ones when they're young and healthy, as for me there just isn't enough zipping about space

HamsterLady · 11-06-2013, 06:03 AM

I agree this isn't the biggest cage going, but I really like it as a cage for a single Roborovski, Russian or Chinese Dwarf Hamster that doesn't grow to be too big. Unfortunately, Pets at Home are notoriously bad for selling this cage as being big enough for two dwarves or a single Syrian and in my opinion that's cruel. A fully grown Syrian can't even fit in the wheel, and there's not enough space for more than one dwarf hamster.

For a single Dwarf or Robo it's okay though, and what I particularly like about this cage is that it's decent quality for the price, easy to get into and easy to clean. There are no fiddly tubes for the hamsters to be weeing or stuffing bedding into for starters! The wide flip-open lid is great for getting them in and out of their balls as well as feeding them.

The ramp is at a nice angle that's easy for the hamsters to run up and down, and I like that if you cover the platform with sawdust, the hamsters have a nice covered, private area underneath. The drawback with that however is that there isn't quite enough height under there to fit their house - and most hamsters seem to prefer to have their home tucked away rather than exposed as it is if you put it on the platform. If your hamster is small enough, you can just put a stack of sawdust and bedding under there and put the top half of the house on it. The platform fits then, and your small hamster feels 'housed' even though they technically only have a roof!

The water bottle holder is a bone of contention as it simply doesn't stay put, but you can get round this by applying sellotape to the suction cups. It keeps the holder firmly in place while still allowing for easy removal of the actual bottle for refilling purposes.

This cage is usually sold as a starter cage by Pets at Home for around £30, and it comes with the cage, platform, wheel, ramp, house, water bottle and foodbowl for that price. It usually also includes some sawdust, food and bedding as part of a recurring special offer. I think it's a bargain and a great buy for a single dwarf, or a baby Syrian even. Just be aware that it does have a few shortfalls, and may be quickly outgrown.

dusty01 · 07-25-2014, 08:02 AM

I know someone who keeps a Syrian hamster in one of these. Is this ok?

RodentsRule · 07-25-2014, 12:09 PM

I wouldnt recommended keeping a syrian in a mini duna as it barely big enough for a pair of dwarfs.

racinghamster · 07-26-2014, 10:29 AM

Or one dwarf! The Duna is a usable cage and the shelf inside does give some added foot room and having a decent wheel inside also allows the hamster to `run off` any excess energy, but the Zoozone 1 is a better choice especially as you can add an extra shelf inside if desired and allows for a little more floor space. x

ABCHamster · 08-04-2014, 11:07 AM

That's a really helpful review because I might be getting this cage as an extension to my hamster's Duna Multy (71x46cm).

Fluffagrams · 03-15-2015, 10:10 AM

I've kept hamsters for several years and bought this cage when I first got Meat and Stitch. I have had to replace a lot of the accessories that were included for better quality items and in particular I have found that the house didn't provide much ventilation for a sleeping hamster. The wheel was also too stiff for a young dwarf hamster to enjoy using and the supplied water bottle didn't work.

I have found that a couple of my hamsters haven't liked the level and for those hamsters I've taken it out. The cage top itself makes escape harder for a dwarf hamster as there's no bars for them to squeeze through but the plastic is very fragile and less than a year after I bought the first cage, I'd had to buy another as the plastic had cracked.

I wouldn't recommend buying this cage for a Syrian hamster as it is far too small and feel that it would only be ideal for one dwarf hamster rather than the two that the product suggests.

I'm not over enthused with this cage and only bought a second one when I'd split Meat and Stitch up because I needed to buy something that day and the shop was about to shut. May currently lives in one of these cages but will be moving to a bin cage in the future.