Ferplast Mini Duna?

[taylorisqueen]

I've been using the Ferplast Mini Duna for a while now and actually really like it - there's more space for toys than the rotastak cage I've used in the past (it was the biggest one available and was literally HUGE - also a nightmare to clean) and I find it easier to use to tame hamsters.

However, is it too small for the dwarves I've been housing in it? I've been thinking lately that my sister has an old indoor guinea pig cage (I believe it's a zoozone one?) that I could steal since her guineas now live in a hutch and we only used the cage when they were babies or ill. The only thing is I have no idea how to mesh the top

[Pebbles82]

A zoozone one is a much better size for a dwarf hamster . Yes meshing the top might be necessary if you don't want to buy a new one. You can get a Ferplast Duna Multy which is the same size as the Zoozone one but has smaller bar spacing so doesn't need meshing. Miscota is the cheapest price (Amazon don't seem to be selling them at the moment) but they have some unusual payment thing where you have to pay by bank transfer or something I think.

This place are selling them at a slightly higher cost but it includes delivery

Ferplast Duna Multy Cage | Pet n Pony

Meshing is a bit of a pain but it just takes a piece of mesh and some cable ties to do it. Not that I have done it lol but plenty of people have. If you go to a diy place they will cut the mesh to the size you want (1cm square mesh) so you don't have any cutting to do. Then you just fix it on the lid with cable ties

Sealey CT25101 Cable Ties 2.5 x 100mm Pack of 100: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

I don't like diy so would probably rather fork out for a duna multy. They are great cages - I've seen them in use.

Some people even have the 100cm maxi duna multy for a dwarf hamster - it makes a great cage because there is so much space for toys and hideouts and different levels and is also futureproof as its suitable for a Syrian too. Amazon have the cheapest price at the moment £57 with free delivery

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-Max.../dp/B00F5ZZ2R6

I've seen some great set ups of these for dwarf hamsters

Maxi Duna Multy Has Arrived!

http://www.hamstercentral.com/commun...8-post144.html

There is space for tunnels, digging areas of deep substrate and a labyrinth house as well - or even a big shoe box house if money for buying things is limited (which it usually is!).

That's the cage I would get if I had a dwarf hamster (and would quite like it for our Syrian too). The standard sized duna multy is big enough but the base curves in quite a bit so there isn't a lot of floor space for doing things with to make into a really good enriched habitat.

[Bertiebobbins]

Aargh Serendipity now I don't know what to do either!! Was just about to order the Duna multy for new dwarf but now I'm thinking I should get the maxi multy even tho I don't have room for it?!! I have a feeling I will get the guilts in a couple of months and order the bigger one anyway which will be a waste of £. Please make my mind up for me lol!

[Shannonmcn]

Always get the biggest cage Bertie, you'll make room!!!

Zoozone 1 is a good size for a pair Taylor! There's no levels for them to get territorial over too which is good, big enough to fit in a few hides, two wheels if you want, but not big enough that they forget eachother "meshing" a zoozone is literally as simple as wrapping mesh around the wire lid and securing it with as many cable ties as you need! I got mesh in the B&Q garden section, 13x13mm square mesh as 900x600mm single sheets for about £7 and you can cut it with scissors. Calling it DIY is even stretching it lol

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Shannon! (Someone who has actually done some meshing helps lol). I'd say always get the biggest cage too! We started out with a three tier rotostak and I had to upgrade within 3 weeks as it clearly wasn't suitable for our large syrian and on top of that he got stuck in the tubes. I didn't think I had the floorspace for a bigger cage, so I sat down with a pen and paper and rearranged the room lol. It meant swapping round a bookcase from the landing with a cupboard/table thing downstairs and having it upstairs so I had storage on shelves instead and suddenly a lot more floor space! In fact when the 80cm cage arrived I kicked myself because I then had space for 100cm! I have regretted ever since not getting 100cm cage in the first place. They soon fill up and it's kind of easier to arrange a bigger space too.

The Duna Multy is fine for one dwarf. The Maxi Duna is even better lol.

[taylorisqueen]

Oh looking at that massive cage is very very tempting haha... It makes me excited about how many toys I would be able to fit in it! I think I will attempt the meshing as it is the cheaper option and might treat myself to the big cage for christmas. Thank you so much for all the links Serendipity they were really helpful (I'm terrible at finding good cages for decent prices!).

I just have a few questions: Can you also buy cable ties from B and Q? What would you do abou the water bottle situation?

[Shannonmcn]

Well technically I was making a lid with mesh rather than meshing one so I was using staples. B&Q have cable ties on their website though so I assume they would have them in store.

What water bottle are you using in the duna? Is it the Ferplast one with the suckers? If that's working with the duna it should work with the zoozone, you'll just need to stick it on the inside instead of the outside. I'm actually using that same one at the minute though I did need to replace the suckers because someone pulled the holder down and chewed bits off them. Or you can get self-adhesive double sided velcro strips off amazon and stick one on the inside of the cage and the other to the bottle. If you'd rather a free standing bottle then you can make homemade bottle holders from toilet roll tubes, just poke a hole in the side and set the bottle in the top. You might need to bury it a bit though because they're not the most stable thing in the world. Or since you have dwarfies one of these would work. You can find others on eBay if you just search "hamster water bottle holder".

[taylorisqueen]

Yes I'm currently using the one with the suckers. However, I find it keeps falling off the side of the cage so generally lean that side of the cage against the wall so it wouldn't work on the inside. Wow I really like the look of those water bottle holders - very cute!

Any ideas as to how I could block the original water bottle hole?

[Shannonmcn]

Hmm. Not 100% sure on that one. I was using a combi 1 as part of a setup for a while and it has the same water bottle hole as the duna but tbh neither of the syrians I had paid any attention to the hole being there. Do you think they would be likely to chew at the hole?

[taylorisqueen]

I haven't got a hamster at the moment but I'm more worried about them being able to fit through it haha but I suppose I could place it against a wall to block the hole