Imac Fantasy Cage for chinese hamster?

[racinghamster]

I`ve put this in the Chinese hamster section because I`m specifically looking for feedback if anyone is currently keeping, or has kept their Chinese hamster in an Imac fantasy cage? I`ve never been a big fan of this cage, but recently I have tried to expand my view on stacking cages or cages that have different sections and upper floors since Chinese hamsters do love to climb and I`ve read some good revues online where people will say they have kept Chinese in Imac Fantasy cages with no problems, no escapes and would recommend them.

I still worry about the bar spacing, but have read that it is 1cm and fine for adult Chinese hamsters. If this is the case, I would love to see your Imacs and what you think about them for Chinese hamsters and any issues you may have had.

[racinghamster]

Well no replies as yet but having done some research and convincing myself that an adult Chinese male would be okay in this cage having viewed some videos online, I managed to bid on and buy my first Imac Fantasy off ebay. It`s just the one section but I plan to add an additional section to this and hopefully turn it into a nice little batchelor pad in time for a lucky male!

[LavoChain]

I have two male Chinese hamsters in the rescue right now, both of which would probably be ok in an Imac. I am considering using a two tier imac for a Chinese myself, I'll certainly report back. I think as long as you have lots of toys and enrichment a Chinese won't feel like using their power of escaping, hopefully not anyway.

[GhostsInSnow]

I know it's not a chinesey but I have kept mice in an imac fantasy, one of them was smaller than a full grown chinese and she never managed to escape. I think an adult chinese would be fine in one personally. I know people who keep adult chinese hams in Hamster Heavens with no issue and the bar spacing is roughly the same as an imac if not a little bigger

[racinghamster]

Thanks for your feedback guys, that`s great. That`s true Lavo about making sure there is good enrichment inside the cage to prevent boredom and the chance that he would bar chew or want to escape. So my plan is to have a two-tiered Imac to begin with and take the tubes out and have the upper floor as his `play area` with sand bath and other little things to explore and chew at. On the lower ground level, he will have his nest, wheel and various other things. So his domain will be on the ground floor and anything upwards will be fun filled! I plan to put in solid ramps or wooden bendy logs to make it really easy access to the upper level, even though Chinese hamsters are nimble little climbers, I`m not a fan of the smooth tubes the cage has, so those will be stored.

Even though I have a Gabber Rex, I felt a Chinese would benefit from having a taller habitat rather than one with just long floor space since they are shy as well and prefer to have lots of little entry/exit toys. I love my gabber tank, but it doesn`t really allow for climbing that much or better ventilation, especially in summertime.

GIS, thanks for letting me know about your mice! Because I`ve kept many mice myself, I know roughly what to expect from cages that are suitable, so looked at mice as a good example when looking at this cage.

[Susie]

RH- i keep 2 adult female chinese hamsters in 1cm bar spacing just fine, Laika is in a hamster heaven and Primrose is in a Criceti 15 - i'd go for it

[racinghamster]

Oooohhh thanks for that Susie. That`s really good to hear. My Imac won`t be arriving from the ebay seller until the end of this month as he is off on holiday and I had to pay for the cage by personal cheque, but it gives me time to find an extension kit!

Susie, do you find your girls bar chew at all or are they happy just to climb the bars and run about? Just curious really. Trying to get as much feedback from Chinese owners as possible who use barred cages.

[Susie]

No worries! Awesome stuff, it's a decent cage for dwarf hams and mice
I've seen Primrose bar chew once in the time she's been in the Criceti 15, Laika has never bar chewed they just tend to go about their business :P I tend to bond more with them in barred cages.. Enzo's in a zoozone 2 my male chinese and Robin my other female chinese is in a Zoozone 1... they tend to view me as a predator at times having to open the lid from above and looking in on them from above.. i do generally prefer my animals in barred cages for that reason

[racinghamster]

Thanks again for that info Susie. I have a Gabber Rex to fall back on if need be so I would be more than happy to do that if the Imac turned out to be unsuitable, but so far from the research I have done, keeping adult Chinese hamsters in Imac Fantasy cages does seem secure and I like the fact that the cage is vertical, rather than long and horizontal since Chinese hamsters do like the opportunity to climb and hide, which is why this cage suddenly appealed to me as a front runner when I was thinking about buying a barred cage.

Initially, I looked at the Kios and a few other barred cages, but they lacked the height I was looking for and I would have had to make my own internal shelves, so the Imac saves me from doing that.

I will wait until my cage arrives (it`s the ground floor level with the domed roof) so I just need to buy the extension kit for it after that and in time, I could always add a third tier if I felt the hamster would benefit from that. But I`m happy with just the two levels for now to see how I get on.

I also wanted to ask if the holes where the tube fits through the upper level can be blocked off with end caps from other cages? I quite liked the idea of unscrewing the larger hole and placing a ramp up to that, rather than using the smaller entry/exit hole where the tube clips in, so wanted to know if that could be blocked off or not? I`m not sure of end caps from other cage types would fit though? Would be great if they did.

[Ilovehamsters]

My chinese is a houdini she could escape out of a imac if she had the motivation too haha