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Old 06-11-2016, 04:48 PM   #11
AlfredHam
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Default Re: Is my cage big enough?!

I had Alfie in the rosewood pico xl when I first got him which is a similar size to yours, I was getting on ok with taming but tbh the difference in his temperament was immediate when I changed his cage to a bigger one, he was much less territorial and is now quite happy to let me poke around in his cage when he's in there.
He runs to the door now to see me but before it was difficult getting him out and I spent hours sitting in the bathroom with him letting him run around in the bath because I felt so guilty about his floor space. The amount of enrichment you can give them with a bigger cage far outweighs the small amount of stress moving causes them and he'll be so much happier in the long run
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Last edited by AlfredHam; 06-11-2016 at 04:49 PM. Reason: Spelling :)
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Old 06-12-2016, 02:45 AM   #12
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Is my cage big enough?!

That's well put AlfredHam I too noticed a huge change in behaviour and "happiness" when I moved Charlie to an 80cm cage. Initially he was a bit nervy but once he had settled in he explored every bit of it and loved it. They can get cage agression or lethargy in a very small cage, as well as bar biting.
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Old 06-12-2016, 10:36 AM   #13
xFluffyHamsterx
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Default Re: Is my cage big enough?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
The smaller cage base might fit inside a new cage, then it makes it easier to move them. You could just set up the new cage and put the base of the smaller one inside it near one end maybe if you leave an end free - then his current substrate and house/toys are familiar and he can explore from there
Hey, i was just wondering whether or not this cage will be good for him? It looks a lot bigger with plenty to do. (Dexter large specifically for syrians)

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Old 06-12-2016, 10:44 AM   #14
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Is my cage big enough?!

No unfortunately not - it's just small but extra tall and hamsters need something wider and lower or they can fall and injure themselves. It's the floorspace they need really. Unfortunately manufacturers say "extra large" to get people to buy cages. You just need to check the dimensions - if it's less than 80cm wide by 50cm deep it's too small (approximately anyway). Savic make some good cages but they are more expensive than the zooplus ones.

The Hamster Heaven is sold by Zooplus as well. It costs more than the Alaska or Barney and is a similar size to the Alaska but a bit lower, if you like that one

Savic Hamster Heaven Metro Cage | Great deals at zooplus!

It still needs a Syrian sized wheel though. Although the Alaska looks a bit plain on the photos you can make it look fun with tubes and toys One great thing about the Alaska (and the Hamster Heaven) is they both have a really large front opening door which means easier access to get at your hammy and put things in and out of the cage.
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Old 06-12-2016, 10:50 AM   #15
xFluffyHamsterx
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Default Re: Is my cage big enough?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlfredHam View Post
I had Alfie in the rosewood pico xl when I first got him which is a similar size to yours, I was getting on ok with taming but tbh the difference in his temperament was immediate when I changed his cage to a bigger one, he was much less territorial and is now quite happy to let me poke around in his cage when he's in there.
He runs to the door now to see me but before it was difficult getting him out and I spent hours sitting in the bathroom with him letting him run around in the bath because I felt so guilty about his floor space. The amount of enrichment you can give them with a bigger cage far outweighs the small amount of stress moving causes them and he'll be so much happier in the long run
Oh wow! I think I'm having similar problems with Hammy, I also have trouble getting him out and also he is territorial, he ALWAYS sniffs me when i touch his stuff, which is understandable. Certainly considering a bigger cage.Thank you.
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Old 06-12-2016, 11:00 AM   #16
xFluffyHamsterx
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Default Re: Is my cage big enough?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
No unfortunately not - it's just small but extra tall and hamsters need something wider and lower or they can fall and injure themselves. It's the floorspace they need really. Unfortunately manufacturers say "extra large" to get people to buy cages. You just need to check the dimensions - if it's less than 80cm wide by 50cm deep it's too small (approximately anyway). Savic make some good cages but they are more expensive than the zooplus ones.

The Hamster Heaven is sold by Zooplus as well. It costs more than the Alaska or Barney and is a similar size to the Alaska but a bit lower, if you like that one

Savic Hamster Heaven Metro Cage | Great deals at zooplus!

It still needs a Syrian sized wheel though. Although the Alaska looks a bit plain on the photos you can make it look fun with tubes and toys One great thing about the Alaska (and the Hamster Heaven) is they both have a really large front opening door which means easier access to get at your hammy and put things in and out of the cage.
The Hamster Heaven one looks awesome, although I think Hammy is too fat for the tubes though lol! I have just measured my cage and yeah it is abit small (55cm wide and 30cm tall) It's probably because this cage was originally for my old Chinese dwarf.
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Old 06-12-2016, 12:12 PM   #17
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Is my cage big enough?!

I would try and get a refund for it when you get something else The Hamster Heaven doesn't look quite so awesome when you take all the plastic tubes, shelves and penthouse out lol! They just make it look fun and colourful. Without them it looks a bit like the Alaska! So you can buy fun colourful toys and make the Alaska look fun too (or make toys). A lot of people end up removing the tubes from the Hamster Heaven anyway as hammies can block them up and they're a bit of an escape risk too. Our hamster is quite large and got stuck in tubes so I think you're right to not risk that if your hammy is quite large. Rat sized toys and tubes are best for hamsters really.

This is my old cage - the Savic Mickey 2XL it's exactly the same size as the Savic Hamster Heaven but comes more or less empty, and I just put my own bits and pieces in for our large syrian. This size is good for most Syrians - although does limit what you can fit in once you have a wheel, a house and some toys. And as you can see it was quite full!

The big pink thing is a rat sputnik - bigger than the one that comes with the Hamster Heaven but I also used the smaller one as well just to put his veggies in as it was a bit small for a syrian to sit in. The stripey tube is just a rat cardboard boredom breaker tube tied up with sisal string.

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