What do you think of my hamster cage?

[kittokitty]

I have a few pictures Excuse the ones without the wheel, I forgot to put it back in after i cleaned his cage :s

I'm planning to put in a water bottle instead of a bowl and connect my spare bin with a tube and start the creation of a hamster mansion :3

[Penguin]

Looks nice. Im not too thrilled about the water bowl as I have heard about hamsters drowning in them, but other people on here have good experiences with them im sure.

The setup seems lovely, but I would like to add a house where the little thing can hoard food and maybe a sandbath as well C:

[Pebbles82]

Hello. He has a nice undulating depth of substrate there to explore and the layout looks nice, but I agree it needs a hide/house. I can't remember where I read it now, but I read that a bendy stick tunnel isn't a substitute for a house that has solid walls and just an entrance that can be blocked and ideally they need something dark inside. An RSPCA page suggested a house where they can go round a corner so the light is blocked out. You could put the bendy stick tunnel over the house door which would make it nice and dark outside. You could make a house out of a shoe box with a hole cut in for a door. I also agree that you really need a water bottle asap. Water dishes can become contaminated quickly and easily, be knocked over so no water is available and yes there is a drowning risk too.

It sounds like a great work in progress though if you are planning to extend it. Not sure where you are (Uk?) but these classic mouse bottles are good and very cheap.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Delu...c+mouse+bottle. You'll either need to attach it to the cage with strong velcro or make a bottle stand for it, or buy a bottle stand.

This thread has a few ideas

Bin cages - water bottle ideas!

[cypher]

It does look nice so far with enough substrate to dig around & have some fun, I do agree he needs a nice sized house in there though, you could just use a cardboard box of a suitable size & cut a hole for an entrance.
The biggest problem with water in a bowl is that it tends to get lots of substrate in it so doesn't stay clean for long so I would have a go at some of those ideas for fixing a water bottle in there.
Try adding an egg box with a couple of holes cut into it too if you have one, dwarfs just love to play in those!

[racinghamster]

Good start, but the hamster needs either an upside down shoe box ( no floor) or a long tissue box to sleep in. I don`t see a box or area provided for that nice dark area they require during the day.

A water bottle needs to be inside the bin cage, so making a stand for one using a cut down plastic drinks bottle and placing a stone or some pebbles in it to weigh it down is a good, cheap solution to a water bowl.

Ideally, a bin cage should be meshed on the front or have an old cage panel screwed to the front for the bottle to hang from. I will attach an image to give you an idea.

Bin cages can be really great cages, but they can also be deep boring boxes without doing the work, so it might be worth making the changes. x

[Pebbles82]

TBH I think Velcro sounds a lot easier than using a water bottle stand. I know I am cack-handed at making things, but maybe you are better lol. You are nearly there with your bin cage!

[racinghamster]

Velcro works, but it makes a noise when removing the bottle! Suppose it`s a quick solution though! x

[kittokitty]

I've emptied a tissue box for him and he loves it The water bowl is just a temporary thing until I can sort out a water bottle. I'm going to mesh the cage as soon as I can. And i'll make an egg box toy for him when i've expanded his cage, there's no room at the moment :P

[racinghamster]

I would replace the wooden see-saw with a cardboard egg box with holes cut out on either side and a turret opened up. They provide better enrichment by hiding, chewing, scattering some seeds inside and climbing on it! x

[kittokitty]

Update: I have a couple of water bottles now, I just need to clean them and put a hole in the side of the cage (they're glass so I can't have them attached from the inside just in case)