Does anyone have this cage?

[Millie]

Hi everyone!

I currently have the Alaska cage for my little Maisie, and I'm getting along with it just fine. I think it's a decent cage for the price that you pay.. however, I was also thinking about getting another hamster in the future and I wouldn't mind getting something a bit more "modern" looking and something also a bit less noisy (I always find barred cages so loud)

I was looking at the Living World Green Eco Habitat and was wondering if anyone has it? I think it looks really cool but it is quite expensive, so I'm a little bit wary..

Living World Green Eco Habitat | Free P&P on orders £29+ at zooplus!

I am also not sure how well ventilated a cage like that would be?

It's not something that I would be purchasing just yet but it's definitely something I am interested in

Thank you in advance!

[AmityvilleHams]

It is very expensive,in fact so expensive you may be better off investing into tools and just going with a slightly larger DIY cage instead!The main problem I can see aside from the ridiculous cost is just how poor the ventilation is.The sides would offer no real ventilation despite the holes in the side(the tiniest bit of ventilation at best),and the lid itself really isn't that good for ventilation(there should be considerably more ventilation,think the lids made from suitable mesh which is not vinyl coated and hamster safe wood rather than this less than ideal lid).

You could take inspiration from the design but make a DIY cage yourself,rather than spending just as much if not most likely more on this cage which isn't that great!

[Millie]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

It is very expensive,in fact so expensive you may be better off investing into tools and just going with a slightly larger DIY cage instead!The main problem I can see aside from the ridiculous cost is just how poor the ventilation is.The sides would offer no real ventilation despite the holes in the side(the tiniest bit of ventilation at best),and the lid itself really isn't that good for ventilation(there should be considerably more ventilation,think the lids made from suitable mesh which is not vinyl coated and hamster safe wood rather than this less than ideal lid).

You could take inspiration from the design but make a DIY cage yourself,rather than spending just as much if not most likely more on this cage which isn't that great!

To be honest it's more the convenience of buying something like this so that I wouldn't have to try and make something. I'm not so great when it comes to DIY and don't think I would be able to create something decent looking at all

I was concerned about the ventilation and came to the conclusion that I wouldn't use the lid if I was to get this cage, the cage itself has enough depth that I don't think a Syrian would be able to get out..

Just wanted to see how others got on with this cage if they had it!

[AmityvilleHams]

It really isn't ever a good idea to not use a lid with any cage,regardless of height There is always a chance of things getting piled up enough for a hamster to escape,or wheels getting stuck with substrate and that leading to an escape route for a determined hamster!They can be surprisingly strong when they need to be,so you shouldn't ever assume something is escape proof without a secure lid.

As long as you're patient with DIY and perhaps can practice using the tools necessary,anyone can make something that comes out looking decent There really is no set skill level required!

[Drago]

Personally, if it is large enough to comfortably house a Syrian, I'd say go for it. I would remove the lid and mesh it over instead, but after making some slight alterations, it would be just fine to use. Like amity said, it would be much more cost effective to create a DIY cage, but if you don't want to put in the effort for that, then I'd say this cage could work. I really like the looks and feel it would be suitable if it had DIY ventilation and was good sized

[cypher]

I have seen a fair number of people on here with that cage & ventilation doesn't seem to be an issue, it isn't deep enough to use without the lid once you have a good depth of substrate in but I think the lid needs meshing as the holes are too big.

[Pebbles82]

It's a lovely cage/tank - I've been tempted myself a few times. There is plenty of ventilation. It has 1cm holes down each side of the perspex and the lid has 2cm slits in it. As Cypher says, the lid needs meshing really because a hammy can easily escape through the large slits - and some have! Even with low substrate, they can find a way up there. It wouldn't be a difficult job - you'd just need a piece of mesh cutting to the size you want by the diy store then use a stapler to staple it round the edges. I would suggest stapling the mesh to the inside, so the hamster couldn't climb through the slots and get trapped under the mesh - in which case you'd want the mesh going right to the edges of the lid and folding under at the edges probably, so there are no sharp edges - or just trimming carefully at the edges so no sharp bits.

It's one of the things that put me off as it isn't an instant cage then! I still would have got one, but I have got used to having barred cages now.

It is a great thing to set up I think and you can have loads of substrate for digging tunnels in it, and freestanding platforms.

As it's quite expensive, you would also want to paint the inside strips of wood (and possibly the lid and floor) with plastikote water based (pet safe) enamel paint. So it's wipe clean and won't get stained and stinky. They do sell liners for the floor part, but I read of one person just using a couple of large sheets of correx on the floor (plasticised corrugated cardboard) and then putting substrate on top of that. I think I would just paint the internal wood struts and not bother with the lid, and put correx/coroplast on the base to protect it

I think it's worth the little bit of doctoring (mesh and a bit of plastikote) because there is nothing else that size for that price and it looks really nice too.

[amyyxj]

I have two of these cages! I meshed over the lid to make sure I had no escapes because the holes are pretty big. Both of the hamsters are syrians.

My male hamster doesn't really use all the space and the cage still looks like new. He doesn't chew it at all.

However with my female hamster its quite different. She chews the wood in the corners and even chews the little ventilation holes, I've had to put the substrate near the holes quite low so she can't reach. She appears quite bored in this cage so I'm going to get the detolf for her but keep the male in the living world one.

It does depend on your hamsters personality. As you can see I've had two very different experiences with this cage. I have never had any escapes.

Overall I think it is a really good cage and it looks very nice. It is expensive but I'm really not good with DIY and this cage was a decent alternative.

If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask!

[emojimom]

I've been thinking about this cage, too. Which size do you have, Amyyxj? Someone local to me is selling the large one, and I'm considering getting it for my Syrian.

[Millie]

Drago Perfect, thats what I thought! Thank you

cypher Oh really? that's good, I did wonder about how much air would be able to flow through. Also I thought it must be similar to having a tank cage? I doubt ventilation in those are great!

Serendipity7000 Thank you for your reply, I've found it really helpful! It's a shame it's not an instant cage and that I'm rubbish at DIY.. I'll have to see if my partner can DIY it (unlikely).. I'll probably be better off asking my dad I definitely would plastikote the wooden areas, I bought some just this week so I could protect Maisie's wooden wheel

amyyxj Oh do you! Thank you for sharing your experiences, really helpful My hamster Maisie doesn't tend to chew her current cage at all so hopefully if I moved her into one of these she wouldn't be tempted.. Are the cages heavy? And how easy are they to clean out? I've seen the cornstarch liners people put in them but they're quite pricey and I'm not sure if they are worth the money. Also did you mesh the lids?

emojimom I was looking at the medium for a Syrian but would definitely get the large if I had the space! More space for your hammy the better