General
This barred cage is quite unusual in that it offers three full levels creating a large amount of space. I have to date seen this cage on zooplus and on ebay, but have never seen it in any shops. It is quite expensive being sold between £50-60, however considering the space it provides I would say it was a reasonable price to pay. It's dimensions are W67cm x D36.5cm x H65cm.
(Note: This image is of when I first set up the cage, the wheel and logs were removed as they were unsuitable)
Delivery
The first cage arrived damaged. It wasn't packed particularly well (no padding or bubble wrap so the bars went through the base) and add to that, that parcelforce being the handlers and it was bound to happen, so I would recommend that anyone buying this cage should check for any damage first. That said they (zooplus) were quick to replace it.
Assembly
A huge drawback to the cage is in putting it together. The shelves are not easy to move into place, so ideally it is a two person job. I have heard that some people have made shelves themselves to overcome this.
A tip for fitting the shelves is to make sure both holes line up before putting the second shelf in. I had to take the second shelf out after I realised the holes were opposite ends (it's easy to forget this in the struggle to get them in). This meant the ladder from the top level blocked the middle level hole.
Before assembling the shelves I would recommend coating them with something, I used Plasti-kote.
Bars
The Leon cage has extremely small bar spacing, and as a result hamsters who regularly chew bars will rub up against them a lot. From my own experience I have found that the doors on the cage allow hamsters to make a huge amount of noise when bar chewing; more so than any other bar cage I have owned.
Access
The three doors; one on each level create a reasonable amount of access, while the large door on top is a huge advantage and ideal in allowing large toys to be put in the top level (like a large puzzle playground creation). As the middle level is only accessible through the smaller door only smaller toys can be put in this level. Some cage doors on this cage can be quite lose and may need securing.
Space
Even with the lower shelf moved down to just above the door there is enough room to fit a Wodent Wheel or a Comfort Wheel in the bottom level. On the flip side, due to this height, the ramp to the second level can be very steep and unsuitable for older hamsters.
The huge amount of floor space this cage offers is the best point to the cage and helps to balance out many of the cons with this cage.
Pros:
Full levels maximise space
Solid flooring when many cages of a similar kind have barred floors
Good access to top
No height to fall from
Cons:
Bad cage for bar chewers
Limited access to middle floor
Hard to put together
Heavy
Most of the accessories with cage are unsuitable for Syrian hamsters
Overall, I would say that when considering this cage the amount of space it provides should be balanced against the complications this creates.
Fun Area Leon Hamster Cage Review
Linear Mode
