Calling all hammy hammock pros

[Teddy001]

I have a few questions about hammocks- I've seen
Members that have them in their hams cages-
I recently bought 2 large cages, with that, they
Are a bit high, too- I was thinking
Maybe a few hammocks?
What type of material is the best?
Is there specific hammocks for hamsters?
I've seen them advertised for other small
Pets-
How do you hang them in the cage? High
Low? ( high and low) lol.
Any advice on hammy hammocks would be
Greatly appreciated

[kyrilliondaemon]

We make some of our own hammocks now, realised it was going to be cheaper in the long run (even including the cost of the sewing machine lol). We have fleece to make hammocks but have used some old clothes to make them too, most materials seem ok really. Sometimes things like denim can deter chewers by being more difficult but ours are generally ok with fleece and things

We hang them wherever we dont want a hamster falling. Sometimes its high, sometimes its lower. Its just wherever we need to break a potential fall for them

I don't think there are many specific hammocks for hamsters, when we buy them we get rat hammocks instead. I've seen one or two hamster specific ones but they're always so small I'm not impressed, rat ones tend to be the same except bigger - and to me that makes them more useful

[Teddy001]

Originally Posted by kyrilliondaemon

We make some of our own hammocks now, realised it was going to be cheaper in the long run (even including the cost of the sewing machine lol). We have fleece to make hammocks but have used some old clothes to make them too, most materials seem ok really. Sometimes things like denim can deter chewers by being more difficult but ours are generally ok with fleece and things

We hang them wherever we dont want a hamster falling. Sometimes its high, sometimes its lower. Its just wherever we need to break a potential fall for them

I don't think there are many specific hammocks for hamsters, when we buy them we get rat hammocks instead. I've seen one or two hamster specific ones but they're always so small I'm not impressed, rat ones tend to be the same except bigger - and to me that makes them more useful

That makes sense-- rat size hammocks-
Thanks so much for your help

[Esmy]

I'm ordering a custom one on Etsy. It will be a 12"x12". About $10 for a single color or $13 for two patterns. I still want to make my own but I don't have a sewing machine that will work, especially for denim.

[BrainGirl]

Esmy, speaking from experience, any sewing machine will work for denim If it's a particularly weak motor you might have to slow the machine down a bit and also watch that the presser foot doesn't tilt too much going over the thicker bits (you can put something at the back of the foot to stop it or be dangerous and just hold the toe down with your finger like I do) but they will sew through several layers no problem. I can't remember how many sewing machines I currently own but somewhere in the neighbourhood of 30. Get thee to a secondhand store and sooner or later you will find an old beast of a sewing machine for a ridiculously low price!

Ok, back to the topic! Teddy, don't forget to cut about 1/2" extra fabric all the way around the edges before you sew if you want a specific sized finished hammock. You can do less but I find that sometimes with use the edge will fray from within and work its way to the outside if it's too close to the seam.

[Teddy001]

Thanks, Brain girl--
I have 3 sewing machines- i bought mine
Second hand - I haven't used them in
A while, so I'll have to clear off the dust!
Ha!! What do you use for the ties?
Emsy, if mine turn out, I'll send ya a few
They could be " back ups" lol..

[Esmy]

I found a machine I like but not ready to get it yet. Too much other stuff to get! lol I hope it works out Teddy! Pictures!

[kyrilliondaemon]

With my hammocks I sew loops of ribbon in and then use large paperclips to hang them in the cage

[BrainGirl]

I found with both my hamsters and my chinchillas (chins especially) that if the ties are made of different stuff from the hammocks that it seems to draw their attention to it and they'll eat that first. Something I found that was workable for the thinner wires of hamster cages is to sew bra hooks (I'm not kidding) into the underside of the hammock (you've got to make the hammock extra big to make this work) and then clip them onto the sides.

[Esmy]

LOL Braingirl, that is creative for sure!

I know it's not a hammock, but I bought a space pod for Gizmo and hung it with paperclips. I think he checked it out when I wasn't looking. But it hangs low to the ground too. I added 4 paperclips on each side and it obviously isn't created to prevent falls.