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02-21-2016, 09:05 AM
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#11
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Hamster Antics
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
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Re: Is this a good cage?
Do you have a picture of the other cage - the one with tubes in? We might be able to recommend some way of re-jigging it - depending on how much bigger it is. Mollie is correct about minimum welfare cage sizes. It's about 80 x 50 for a Syrian and 70 x 40 for a single dwarf hamster in the Uk. In the US it's 360 square inches (just the floor area - width x length) which is quite a bit smaller. An in Germany it is 100 x 50cm as a minimum. These measurements are for continuous floor space in one cage. They are quite active little things and need space to explore and do hamstery things, and once you have toys, house and wheel in that can take up some of the space too.
The cage on the photo does look very small. How big is the one with the tubes? Unfortunately pet shops do sell these small cages to people (we started out with something way too small). They also find it quite stressful changing cages though, so best not to swap her between them just yet if she has already been moved once.
Some people make bin cages. This Ikea Samla bin is a good size for it - but it needs a bit of diy for ventilation. A panel cutting out of the front and top and mesh putting in the gap and held in with cable ties. Do you think your Dad would be interested in helping you with a diy project? The cage she is in now would be good as a play cage for when cleaning her out. Anyway, if you have a photo of the cage with tubes we might be able to advise on how to block off the tube holes (you can use one or two of the tubes as floor toys maybe).
SAMLA Box - IKEA
It's difficult when parents think somehing is ok and don't want to change it, but people have taken cages back for refunds shortly after buying them, saying it is too small and not suitable.
Amazon in Gemny also as a good seection of suitable cages. This one is 100cm with small bar spacing and not too high and not too expensive.
Mäuse- & Hamsterkäfig ELMO "XXL": Amazon.de: Haustier
There are also pleny of 70 to 80cm cages on there as well, but lets look at your tube cage first.
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02-21-2016, 09:14 AM
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#12
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Merseyside
Posts: 159
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Re: Is this a good cage?
Freddy, my Syrian, used to spend all of his time in the tubes of his old cage. He would sleep, eat, poo and wee, hoard food and chew the tubes and it was disgusting! We put these little plastic blockers in place of the tubes and that worked well. If you don't have blocking plates you could easily mesh over the tube holes with metal mesh you can get in garden centres etc. This is providing the cage is large enough for his permanent cage of course
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Freddy, my first and only hamster
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02-21-2016, 09:26 AM
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#13
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PM Fluffy for custom title
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Central Scotland
Posts: 13,415
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Re: Is this a good cage?
Hi. I`m afraid the cage in your image is one of the `old` style cages and are out date these days due to their limited size. These types of cages were sold in the 70`s/80`s in pet shops and sadly, are still being sold as suitable housing. Maybe to sleep in but not for enrichment purposes!
There are loads of tutorial on the internet and on this forum relating to making a Bin cage or to use the other cage you have if it is suitable. Post an image and we can cast an eye over it for you.
Bin cages are a good alternative and you just have to mesh the front. I will post an online image of one just to let you see an example. This isn`t a large Bin cage but you can see how they have used a cage front from an old barred cage has been bolted to the plastic frontage. Easy to do...and you already have the small cage you could remove this from!
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Get A Life, Get A Rodent!
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02-21-2016, 10:03 AM
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#14
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Newborn Pup
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 13
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Re: Is this a good cage?
This is the other cage:
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02-21-2016, 10:21 AM
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#15
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Hamster Overlord
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Portsmouth, UK
Posts: 845
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Re: Is this a good cage?
Unfortunately both cages look far too small for permanent housing, though the first cage looks better than the one above.
Dwarf hamsters need a cage thats atleast 70cm in length, I know the above cage looks really cool with all the tubes and levels etc etc, but its really not suitable for a hamster. So many petshops do sell cages that are just so unsuitable for animals, I really don't know why they do it.
I'd keep him in the first cage pictured (one without tubes) until you have money to buy a larger, more suitable cage. In the meantime, i'd try and make the current cage more enriching for him/her.
Examples:
Super thick layer of bedding so he can burrow and dig (they love that)
Scattering food, rather than providing it for him in a bowl (gives them something to do, its more natural for them)
Toilet roll tubes
Cardboard boxes make great nesting areas! Or he may decide to shred them and use as bedding!
I hope I helped you somewhat
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02-21-2016, 11:19 AM
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#16
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Newborn Pup
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 13
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Re: Is this a good cage?
Okay, thank you (:
Yea, it sucks that the petshop sold me that expensive cage with tubes. It was €48 euro.
Really a waste of money!
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02-21-2016, 11:37 AM
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#17
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Hamster Antics
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
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Re: Is this a good cage?
I know - many of us have been there! We had to upgrade our Syrian's cage after 3 weeks as he was getting aggressive and I googled and found out more about hamsters! It really hurt paying for another cage. How long is it since you bought either cage? I would definitely try and return one at least for a refund to use the money towards something else. You can show your parents this thread if you like. There are some real experts on here, including breeders, but we tend to go by RSPCA welfare recommendations (and experience as many hamsters have issues in very small cages). There should be legislation on minimum cage size that is allowed to be sold.
This cage is also good for a dwarf hamster and is about the minimum recommended size. It's the Ferplast Duna Multy - these are sometimes sold in shops (or the Zoozone 1 which is very similar but has very large bar spacing that needs meshing whereas the Duna Multy has narrow bar spacing and doesn't need meshing).
Cage Duna Multy: Amazon.de: Haustier
I'd suggest something like that, or the other cage linked earlier, or making a bin cage. I like RH's idea of using the cage panel with the door on! Meanwhile you could add a few home-made toys to enrich her environment - a couple of toilet roll tubes make good toys and can be shredded, and make sure she has lots of nesting material - as well as the bedding/substrate on the base of the cage. Try and put minimum 3 to 4" deep substrate on the bottom of the cage (you can just add a bit and mix it in so it still smells familiar and doesn't stress her too much) and a pile of torn up strips of white toilet paper, which is the safest nesting material. She will probably pouch some of this and take it somewhere to build a nest. The little plastic house is ok as a hide/toy but not really ideal to build a nest in as if it has a solid floor it will get smelly and condensation in and is maybe a bit small too. Sometimes they just build a big nest in a corner of the cage though if the house isn't big enough. Their nest is really important to them, so best not to remove it all when you have to clean. If it's dry, then leave it where it is. You can just spot clean - ie take out the odd handful of wee'd on substrate and replace it with a handful of clean and mix it in. They tend to choose a wee area - often a corner - as their toilet - and putting a dish as a potty in this area can also help reduce the need for cleaning too often. People usually put chinchilla bathing sand in a potty, but if you don't have any, just using some of the substrate from the floor of the cage is ok. Then you just empty,wipe and refill the potty every 4 or 5 days. That will help make her environment better for now
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