Is the Alaska Bar Spacing okay for a WW or Campbell?

[Lilac_Dreams]

Simple question really, lol. I plan to get a Hamster to show in the future 2017 shows From the Bath Show sales table in Feb., I have yet to decide whether I'll be coming home with a Campbell, WW or a Syrian to show, so my plan was whichever I fall in love with first will be fine by me, lol.

I figured I'd go with a cage that would be suitable for both situations should I bring home a WW/Campbell or a Syrian.

I did ask this question in a Hamster group but the comments weren't helpful and were suggesting Hamster Heavens instead rather than telling me yes or no so I figured here might be a bit more helpful regarding this

[Pebbles82]

I think technically the Alaska is fine for a russian dwarf hamster, unless it's a baby or a particularly small one. I expect recommendations for the Hamster Heaven would be because it is lower so less risk of fall risks. I was going to suggest it too, although without the tubes and penthouse (and possibly without the rest of the plastic contents too!). On its own, the Hamster Heaven is a good cage because it has a large front opening door and is only about 36cm tall inside, so once there is plenty of substrate inside it's not a great height to fall from.

But the Alaska is a good cage too and costs less. It is taller - about 43cm in height, so you might need to be a bit careful about set up - eg have any hard floor items under the shelf and the base filled with substrate to cushion any falls and might need an extra shelf or level.

It would also do for a Syrian. There is also the Barney cage which is bigger than the HH and Alaska (about 20cm longer). It's the same height as the Alaska though and only has 7mm bar spacing so would be suitable for even the smallest of hamsters. It's an excellent cage for a Syrian and could also be fine for a dwarf hamster - again taking care with set up to avoid fall risks. It costs about £15 more than the Alaska but it does come with a good shelf, a good house and an 8" wheel and you could easily spend that on a shelf and a wheel for the Alaska (the shelf in the Alaska is a bit flimsy I believe but manageable and the only house is the little white one on the shelf - ideally they need a house on the substrate which is open underneath).

Hamster Cages | great selection at zooplus

Personally I think a 100cm cage is better for a Syrian, having had a Syrian in a cage the size of the Hamster Heaven. The Alaska is a bit more versatile for a Syrian than the HH - easier to fit a big wheel in and just a bit longer.

[Fluffagrams]

I've never actually seen what an Alaska looks like in person however the bar spacing should be fine for a Syrian, Campbell or Winter White as they don't tend to be able to fit through the same gaps that a Robo or Chinese might. I have heard some concerns that the bars on the cage are quite poor in quality compared to some other cages on the market so you might have to keep an eye on that to make sure that no gaps are starting to develop in the corners of the cage or by the doors that could prove to be an escape point.

(I'll see you at Bath, I'm Book Stewarding for Dwarfs)

[Lilac_Dreams]

I already have one of my Syrians in an Alexander and I am personally never getting another one again. I hate mine due to it's sheer size and how much of a pain it is to clean, plus I don't have the room for another one of that size or bigger - if I did, I'd just go and get a Detolf instead, lol.

As for the Hamster Heaven, there is no way I could ever justify paying £60 + for what it is, especially seems I'd just end up removed the tubes and other plastic, lol. (I can't stand tubes and plasticy stuff xD )

Would you think the Alaska would be okay for a baby WW/Campbell if I meshed the cage, like you would the lid of a ZooZone?

[Lilac_Dreams]

Originally Posted by Fluffagrams

I've never actually seen what an Alaska looks like in person however the bar spacing should be fine for a Syrian, Campbell or Winter White as they don't tend to be able to fit through the same gaps that a Robo or Chinese might. I have heard some concerns that the bars on the cage are quite poor in quality compared to some other cages on the market so you might have to keep an eye on that to make sure that no gaps are starting to develop in the corners of the cage or by the doors that could prove to be an escape point.

(I'll see you at Bath, I'm Book Stewarding for Dwarfs)

Thank you I think I may mesh it to be 100% sure! I have heard the edges can become weakened so I think I may mesh that anyways just to be 100%

(Yay! Good luck with the Book Stewarding! I'll probably be that one person staring at the BEW Chinese from across the room xD)

[Penguin]

I was considering the Hamster Heaven when I first started out, but quickly found a thread on Hamster Central with a lady who had a dwarf getting stuck, between the platform it comes with and the bars. It got stressed and chewing off his own leg before he was discovered. For this reason alone, that this is a possibility, I would never house a dwarf in a hamster heaven.

The Alaska is just fine for dwarfs. I have had a couple of dwarfs in the Alaska cage and my mum even houses a robo in one.
The cage itself might seem a bit flimsy, but as long as you don't place any heavy objects on top there's nothing to worry about. The bars are coated, so if you get a bar chewer the sound of him chewing on the bars is much more pleasant than with most other cages. It's almost as if you put a silencer on the bars (:
I have never had any problems or heard about anyone who have had problems with their dwarf escaping this cage, but I suppose if you are very worried, you could cover up the top 4 corners with a peace of cardboard or something like that. The caps there COULD be big enough for a very determined hamster to fit through, though again - i have never heard this happen.

The cage is fine for a syrian too, but serendipity already covered that

[cypher]

I've kept dwarfs even my Chinese which are much slimmer & more agile than Russians in the alaska with no problem, some of the gaps at the corners are a little larger but nothing a few cable ties won't fix if you are worried.

ETA I forgot to say a few points about the hamster heaven.
It is expensive compared to the alaska but the bars are sturdier, no chance of anything breaking, the bar spacing is fine for a dwarf, it may be a bit small for a syrian but is plenty big enough for any dwarf species.
I have one but just chuck all the plastic, tubes, penthouse, shelves etc & use it a good sturdy basic cage.
I find cleaning a bit quicker & easier than the alaska too, the top clips on very securely with a large clip at each end whereas with the alaska you have several, not very tight, clips to put on & it can be a bit of a faff making sure it's all secure.


I really like both cages tbh & it comes down to personal choice more than suitability I think.

[Crayolalaura]

I have a WW hybrid in a Alaska cage. It's fine. You do need to zip tie one or two of the sides closer together (as others had already warned me so I bought zip ties and I did end up needing them on the end) but other than that. My Margots happy
Two sides have vertical bars and the other two have horizontal. If your hammy likes to climb make sure there's lots of soft bedding underneath in case s/he can't get down safely (mines fairly good at getting back down but will still have a little bit of a fall once she's near the bottom)
I think it's a fine cage for a Syrian but add some extra levels for them to explore more.
If you can go bigger then maybe go for barney

[flowerfairy]

I love the alaska cage sooo easy to clean. I have a roborovski in one and she has been there since she was tiny. No problems at all.

I also like the borneo cages from amazon de due to the big front door. They are high though so i use hammocks for my syrian, Arun who doesnt chew them thankfully.

I chucked all the plastic that came with it. A yukky shelf and a spooky looking house.