hi, ive been lurking for a few weeks and i have a bedding ?

[hadla]

(question) so i was looking at petsmarts bedding selection and theres this stuff thats a combination of fir, hemlock, and spruce shavings i think. i was wondering if anyone knew anything about it... ive been using aspen shavings but its not working well with my sorta new hamham(got her about 2 weeks before xmas). either she pees a lot or the water bottle is leaking... got a new bottle so hopefully it was that, id love to get a glass bottle like the one in my 'tiels cage, but i cant find any the right size. since i didnt know anything about the mixture of shavings, i got this stuff thats like that carefresh stuff, but cheaper. i used to have hamsters when i was 12 through 17(21 now) and i had always used cedar shavings before i found it theyre not good for animals. (i just loved the cedar smell and templeton-my favorite hamster-had lived for 3 years in it)

edit: forgot a few things. penelope(my hamster now) is a black bear syrian. templeton was a black "rat with no tail". i dont know exactly what kind he was. she is living in a 10 gallon that my gerbil was in(she was over 3 years old and ever since i had found out gerbils werent what i thought they would be, i wanted to go back to hamsters. i couldnt hold her or anything but i still kinda miss her(she had the cutest little face). im hoping to get this for the aquarium penelope is in: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/re ... B0006IUL64

i also want to make a second level like snuggleham did in the lets see your cage board. and attach a little hammock under it.

[SnuggleHam]

Hello Hadla, Unforuntaly I don't know anything about the affects with fir, hemlock, and spruce shavings on hamsters. I've only heard that pine and cedar are unacceptable. I use Aspen bedding for my rodents and it works wonderfully. I don't understand why Aspen shavings would make itself damp so you must have been having a problem with your water bottle. I would recommend Aspen or carefresh.

Now for your next question, The tank topper you linked to seems to be for a 10 gallon tank. I really feel (and many of us here on HC feel) that a ten gallon tank is far to small for a syrian hamster. I don't think a tank topper would be much more help. Floor space I feel is more important then level/tube space. Also I'm concerned about the design of this tank topper, it doesn't look as though the levels over lap and leave allot of open space for a hamster to fall down into.

I wouldn't house a syrian in anything smaller then a 29-gallon tank. You may want to look into the bin cage option. You can make a cage for your hamster equaling 29-gallons or more for about 12-15 bucks! Bins are very inexpensive and allow you to be creative with your hamster cage. I keep my six gerbils in bin cages.

[hadla]

ive always kept them in a ten gallon cage and i do think it is kinda small... i dont want to use plastic though because its hard to clean(ive been through about 3 of those "easy" tubey kinda cages before and hated cleaning them). an aquarium is so much easier to clean. i also thought the plastic bins wouldnt work because they can chew through the plastic... and with the cage topper, the only other ones ive seen have wire levels which would be h e double hockeysticks on a hamsters feet, unless you know of an online source for nice cage toppers...

edit: oh and it was the water bottle that was the problem. hopefully i can get my money back from petco cause its the second one i bought that leaks(the first one was only for wire sided cages and i didnt realize it when i bought it). i love how water bottles claim to be leak proof but theyre not. and on the bin cage thing, do you just drill holes in the cover for air to circulate or make your own wire top?

[racinghamster]

There is a step-by-step guide to making a bin cage in the `Articles` section on here! You can attach grids to the roof, sides and front to allow better ventilation. Drilling holes is`nt adequate because condensation can build up and the odour/phenols from the shavings has to be aired off.

Water bottles should be filled right to the top and then turned a few times to make sure they are working. Just tap the ball at the end of the spout to get it operating. If a water bottle leaks, it`s usually because it is`nt filled right to the top. Shavings kicked up onto the bottle spout will also empty it, so make sure the spout is clear from shavings!

I had a look at your link to the tank topper and I feel the height in there is far too tall for any hamster! Hamsters prefer floor space as apposed to height because yes, they will climb, but they will drop like a stone if they walk off a platform as high as this and injure themselves. I would make the bin cage and put some low level shelves in there.

I keep gerbils in long glass aquariums and I would`nt use tank toppers for them either.

[SnuggleHam]

Originally Posted by hadla

ive always kept them in a ten gallon cage and i do think it is kinda small... i dont want to use plastic though because its hard to clean(ive been through about 3 of those "easy" tubey kinda cages before and hated cleaning them). an aquarium is so much easier to clean. i also thought the plastic bins wouldnt work because they can chew through the plastic... and with the cage topper, the only other ones ive seen have wire levels which would be h e double hockeysticks on a hamsters feet, unless you know of an online source for nice cage toppers...

I understand your concerns about bin cages, but I can assure you that many people use them without any problems. As I said, I house gerbils in bins, and they are notorious chewers, I have yet to see one escape. Bin cages seem to be the new popular housing for hamsteries as well.

The small cages mass produced and sold in pet stores with tube attachments are to small in most cases anyway, and are hard to clean as you mentioned. Ive struggled with cleaning out cages like that myself.

But don't assume its the same with a bin cage. If made properly the hamsters will not be able to chew them. Its just a matter of making sure there are no plastic edges for your hamster to get its teeth around. As racinghamster mentioned we have an article about how to make a bin cage here on HC http://www.hamstercentral.com/user.p...ewArticle&a=18

Here is another link that might be helpful.
http://www.petwebsite.com/article_re...%20Type%20Cage

Of course they don't need to be as complex, especially if your not a "do it yourself" kind of person. It can be as simple as converting just the lid to provide ventilation. Here is a link to pictures of a simple bin cage someone made. I suggest you take a peek at it. http://community.livejournal.com/ham...85.html#cutid1

And here is another bin cage someone made for their hamster.
http://community.livejournal.com/ham...64.html#cutid1

Bins are an affordable way to house a hamster while providing maximum floor space as well. With bins you get the best of both worlds, a well ventilated home without the nasty drafts from outside. They are light weight and easy to clean.

If your still against a bin cage, I would look into a larger tank. The tank my hamster is in is a 29-gallon. The second level was made of a simple design with a wooden floor and four wooden legs.

[hadla]

ok thanks, ill look at them tomorrow, have to get to work now. i think ill try to find a big clear bin to make a cage for penelope.

[hadla]

a bin would be cheaper than a bigger aquarium and having to find a top for one and im loving the second links pics. ill have to show it to my dad and get him to help me with it... im not a tool person hehe.

[SnuggleHam]

Originally Posted by hadla

a bin would be cheaper than a bigger aquarium and having to find a top for one and im loving the second links pics. ill have to show it to my dad and get him to help me with it... im not a tool person hehe.

My father in law helped me with making all my bins hehe But I watched him closely and included what tools were used for making the bin in one of the articles I linked to. So You two should have something to go by if you choose to make a homemade bin

Let us know how things go!

[hadla]

Originally Posted by SnuggleHam

My father in law helped me with making all my bins hehe But I watched him closely and included what tools were used for making the bin in one of the articles I linked to. So You two should have something to go by if you choose to make a homemade bin

Let us know how things go!

i will, ill just have to wait until i have enough money to get all the things id need. ill post pics after it happens.